Kenya’s recent youth-led protests, which included the unprecedented storming of Parliament on June 25, 2024, have left a significant mark on the country’s security landscape. Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja recently revealed startling figures regarding the violence and injuries sustained during the month-long demonstrations. In a report to the National Assembly’s Committee on Administration and Internal Security, Kanja disclosed that more police officers were injured than protestors.
According to Kanja, 495 police officers sustained injuries during the violent street clashes, a number that surpasses the 347 injuries recorded among demonstrators. This shift in injury statistics highlights the intensity of the confrontations between protesters and the authorities. The protests, which were largely driven by youth from the Generation Z demographic, led to severe clashes with security forces, including the storming of the Parliamentary buildings in the capital, Nairobi.
The police boss attributed the escalation of violence to the growing frustration among the youth over various socio-economic issues, including unemployment and perceived governmental neglect. However, the protests quickly spiraled out of control, drawing attention to the ever-deepening divide between the government and the nation’s youth. “The protests were largely peaceful at first, but as the situation progressed, so did the violence,” Kanja noted during his testimony.
The demonstrations culminated in the invasion of Parliament, a symbolic attack on the legislative arm of government, which many saw as an expression of widespread dissatisfaction with political leadership. This was a significant milestone in the protests, marking the first-ever breach of the Parliamentary precincts in the country’s history.
The IG’s briefing also revealed the arrest of 1,552 protestors, with some caught on camera engaging in acts of violence. The police have pursued charges against individuals involved in these offenses. Additionally, Kanja revealed that 42 fatalities occurred during the protests, adding further weight to the toll these demonstrations had on both the protestors and security officers.
While the situation in the streets was dire, the period also saw a rise in disturbing cases of abductions and enforced disappearances, which were attributed to both state and non-state actors. According to Kanja, 57 kidnapping and abduction cases were reported nationwide, though he dismissed any link between these events and police actions, calling such claims “propaganda.”
Despite the IG’s denials, the abductions have become a growing concern for human rights organizations, with many linking them to security forces. Otsieno Namwaya, the Human Rights Watch boss in Kenya, stated that the numbers of missing individuals could be in the hundreds, with many still unaccounted for. “Up to 132 people are still missing following the protests,” Namwaya said. “The state has used security agencies to silence families from coming forward.”
The human rights violations linked to the demonstrations have sparked international outcry, with advocacy groups calling for independent investigations into the actions of the police and security agencies. Human Rights Watch has classified the unresolved cases as instances of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, a serious accusation that adds to the growing criticisms of the government’s handling of the protests.
The Kenyan government has been under intense scrutiny, not only for its heavy-handed response to protests but also for the widespread perception that security forces are engaging in unlawful activities to suppress dissent. As the investigations into the abductions and killings continue, it remains to be seen whether the government will take meaningful action to address the human rights concerns raised by local and international bodies.
In conclusion, while the protests may have started as a call for socio-political change, they have sparked a deeper crisis in Kenya, highlighting not only the frustrations of the youth but also the troubling actions of the state security apparatus. The public’s trust in the government and its security forces continues to erode, and the country’s leadership faces increasing pressure to address both the root causes of the protests and the aftermath of the violence.
