On Tuesday June 25, more than twenty protesters lost their lives and more than 300 injured during protests against the Kenyan government’s 2024-2025 Finance Bill after police fired live ammunition at protesters opposing the bill. government law, which provides for new taxes. The protests were concentrated in the capital, Nairobi. But other gatherings were held in several cities across the country, notably in Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret…

Protests from the Occupy Parliament movement, which opposes this budget escalated when the bill was adopted the same day in the National Assembly by 196 deputies for and 105 against. 

President William Ruto took the floor in a strong national speech delivered on the evening of the events, to characterize the assault on Parliament as a threat to national security by labeling peaceful demonstrators as “criminals” justifying police repression.

As a reminder, the government announced on June 18 that it was withdrawing most of the measures but the demonstrators continued their movement which began on June 13, denouncing a sleight of hand by the government, which plans to compensate for the withdrawal of certain fiscal measures by others, including a 50% increase in fuel taxes.

After having suffered strong pressure from the streets, Kenyan President William Ruto in a public statement announced on Wednesday June 26 the withdrawal of the Finance bill. Thursday June 27, the start of white march in memory of the victims was again marked by tear gas fire in the center of Nairobi and at least seven people were arrested.

The bloody repression of these demonstrations is in total contradiction with chapter three of the constitution of Kenya which gives the right to every citizen “to demonstrate peacefully (…), to assemble, to demonstrate, to set up pickets and to present petitions to public authorities.” They also violate the commitments made by Kenya within the framework of international conventions such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which in their articles 11 and 21 guarantee the right of assembly peacefully.

AfricTivistes, protests against this brutal and bloody law enforcement and demands the government of Kenya to respect the rights of citizens to peacefully protest. As well as its regional and international commitments.

It should be noted that on Tuesday, at the height of the repression, the Internet network on site was significantly disrupted, according to NetBlocks, a network monitoring organisation. 

Frequent internet restrictions during periods of demonstrations in Africa are to be deplored because they constitute a serious attack on freedom of expression and the right of access to information guaranteed by the Kenyan constitution. 

AfricTivistes condemns all forms of censorship and disruption of the internet, particularly those that have a disproportionate impact on fundamental rights. We remind the Kenyan authorities to preserve the country’s democracy, recognised throughout the world, as evidenced by the appointment of the Supreme Court of kenya as part of the AfricTivistes Champion of Democracy and Governance. 

We also urge the Kenyan authorities to favor dialogue in the future, rather than repression which only leads to loss of human life.

We stand with Kenyan citizens and pro-democracy activists fighting for the respect of their rights and for good governance. Finally, like other target society organisations on the continent and in the name of Pan-Africanism, AfricTivistes mourns the memory of the disappeared.