- The widespread brutality employed by Kenyan police has been documented in an extensive report by six prominent human rights organizations.
- Among the findings, six people were confirmed to have been shot dead, while 61 fatalities were documented throughout various protests in 2024.
Image: FILE
A group of human rights organisations has released a new report detailing alarming findings on the Gen Z 'Occupy Parliament' protest in Nairobi on June 25, 2024.
The widespread brutality employed by Kenyan police has been documented in an extensive report by six prominent human rights organisations, including Amnesty International.
According to the report, which is based on extensive research and interviews, six people were killed on that day and 72 were either abducted or remain missing as a result of the protest.
The protests were met with harsh police response.
Among the findings, six people were confirmed to have been shot dead, while 61 fatalities were documented throughout various protests in 2024.
The report also revealed that 67 cases of enforced disappearances have been lodged this year, with 40 cases resolved so far, leaving 27 still unresolved.
The International Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) has conducted 49 autopsies on victims of the protests.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), human rights organisations facilitated the “release of over 300 persons illegally detained” on 25 June.
"As of the end August, the Law Society of Kenya had documented 72 people that had been abducted, released, or were still missing in relation to the protests. Thirteen disappeared on June 25, and a further twenty-three went missing within seven days of this protest,” the report says.
At a press briefing at Amnesty International's Nairobi offices, the organisation detailed its investigation, which included interviews with 23 eyewitnesses and the analysis of 45 videos and over 100 photographs from the protest day.
The footage depicts what Amnesty experts described as a "chaotic and uncoordinated" response by law enforcement, with officers firing weapons at random and appearing to lack proper guidance.
"The level of violence and disregard for human rights during the protest is unacceptable," Amnesty International said in its report.
“The authorities had ample time to prepare for a peaceful protest, but instead, the response was characterised by excessive use of force."
The June 25 protest, which was announced days in advance, saw a significant turnout of young protesters demanding political and economic reforms.
Four eyewitnesses interviewed during the investigation noted that police appeared overwhelmed by the sheer number of protesters and were unable to maintain control without resorting to violence.
Amnesty International’s weapons experts identified that law enforcement used various firearms and crowd-control weapons, including G3, AK-47, Galil-pattern rifles, and CZ Scorpion EVO 3 submachine guns.
"There was a clear lack of communication and guidance among officers," the report added. Footage shows them advancing and retreating in confusion, with some firing weapons seemingly without orders."
Amnesty International, alongside five other human rights, legal, and medical associations are calling on the government to act on the recommendations made following the report.
In 2023, the organisation had already reported 67 deaths linked to police brutality and had made specific suggestions on reforms to prevent further violence.
However, the inaction from authorities has led to continued violations in 2024.
As part of their advocacy efforts, Amnesty International has launched a petition calling for the establishment of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the deaths, disappearances, and unlawful police action during the protests.
The petition, which has garnered more than 12,000 signatures, will be presented to the National Assembly in the coming days, the agencies said.
Amnesty also plans to engage with the judiciary and law enforcement agencies to demand accountability and the release of all detained individuals.
"We urge the government to ensure that those responsible for these atrocities are held accountable," the statement said.
"Kenyans have a constitutional right to peaceful assembly and such rights should not be met with bullets and brutality. Kenyan authorities must conduct prompt, thorough and independent investigations into all human rights violations committed in the context of the protests, including the killing of protesters and hold those responsible fully accountable.”
“Victims of unlawful police use of force and family members of those who have been killed must be compensated,” said IMLU Executive Director Grace Wangechi.
During the presser, Amnesty International, Article 19, Defenders Coalition, Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), the Law Society of Kenya and Kenya Medical Association Wednesday called for justice for the June 25 protesters.
It is three months since thousands of Kenyans took to the streets to voice discontentment with the Finance Bill 2024.
They said the protest became a watershed moment, as it marked the first time demonstrators accessed Parliament, a bold assertion of their constitutional right to protest.