Data from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights(KNCHR) shows that at least 50 people have died from the anti-government protests that initially began as anti-finance bill 2024 protests.
The protests organised and executed by the Gen Z youths in the country have attracted international attention with the majority of Africans praising the Kenyan people for having the courage to stand up against oppressive regime policies.
Apart from the 50 deaths, 413 people have been injured, 682 unlawfully detained and 59 others reportedly abducted.
We have, however, seen the recent protests infiltrated by criminals and goons who are looting from businesses, vandalising property and torturing innocent citizens going about their business.
This brings us to the need to analyse the lessons both the government, especially the police can learn in preparation for any future protests.
There is something protesters too can learn.
In 2019, the Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies (ChRIPS) unmasked the alleged existing inefficiency of police training colleges to amicably instil knowledge and skills on officers manning protests.
In their report, they claimed that the Kenyan antiriot police lack proper mechanisms and innovative ways of handling riots and mobs of justified protesters.
While our police force is ranked among the best in the region, the Gen Z protests as well as the Finance Bill 2023 protests speak to the gaps and weaknesses that need to be addressed.
Our police colleges have reportedly failed to prepare officers to face the reality of demonstrations, prompting them to use excessive force even when it is not necessary.
In the 2019 survey, 50 per cent of officers surveyed strongly disagreed that crowd dynamics and psychology training offered during the initial recruit training are adequate.
According to the study, this is a major challenge since most of the training at the recruitment level was generic and thus the majority of those who had engaged in public order control were not adequately trained to do so.
The research indicates close to 72 per cent of police who participated in the study strongly agreed that police colleges need to increase training hours and review its content.
The study recommended changes including reviewing of the curriculum by adding more content such as human rights, group psychology, first aid and drills, firefighting, taming propaganda and passive position to cover riots.
Police also revealed that equipment and materials used in police campuses were inefficient and insufficient, justifying the need to be increased and updated with the latest technologies.
On the flipside is the public and in this case the youthful Gen Zs who have put up a good fight that has seen the President fire his cabinet after dropping the Finance Bill.
The Gen Zs deployed new digital methods, taking advantage of the advanced internet access and liberties in the country to mobilise, set up an agenda and successfully conduct countrywide protests. They were with no specific leaders and were branded tribeless and faceless.
Traditional methods of demonstrating have revolved around street protests, boycotts, sit-ins, civil disobedience and alternative institutions.
It is worth noting that Article 37 of our constitution gives every Kenyan the right to picket and protest. It states that every person has the right, peacefully and unarmed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket, and to present petitions to public authorities.
The right to protest consists of a group of rights guaranteed by both domestic and international law. This includes the right to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly. These rights are a critical part of the practice of democracy in Kenya.
Every Kenyan has to understand that this right provides them with the power to air their grievances to the government and empowers them to participate in their governance.
We, however, have to be careful not to misunderstand this right and fall into the hands of invisible enemies who may want to take advantage of justified protests to advance anarchy and set the country on a warpath.
The protests we conduct must not infringe on the rights of others, impede the operation of government, or endanger public order and safety. This is better explained by section 5 of the Public Order Act which regulates public gatherings.
The bottom line is that we must draw the line and know when to exit the stage when war drums start beating from a distance.
Elcana Jacob is a criminologist, security expert and communication consultant.