Respect Kenyans Demands, Human Rights Activisits tell President Ruto

By Our Reporter

As widespread protests and civil unrest continue to roil Kenya, renowned human rights activists are imploring President William Ruto to address teething grievances.

Over a month after the protests first erupted across Kenya in response to proposed tax hikes, the unrest shows no signs of abating.

At least 50 people have been killed so far, with the rallies initially beginning peacefully before descending into violence.

Protesters, organized through online channels without the backing of opposition figures, briefly stormed parliament on June 25, 2024 destroying Parliament property, prompting a violent police crackdown, killing at least 5.

President William Ruto has scrambled to calm the situation, scrapping the proposed Finance Bill containing the tax increases, dismissing his cabinet, and promising government cuts.

Protestors now say they want Ruto to resign and are calling for reforms to clean up corruption, address poor governance, as well as taking responsibility of the deaths of dozens of protesters during earlier antigovernment rallies.

However, Human Rights Activists say there is much more needed to be done for the country to restore peace.

Kimutai Kirui, a human rights activist based in Eldoret, condemned the destruction and lawlessness that has marred some of the protests, placing the blame squarely on the top country's leadership.

"The Gen Z protesters are doing a good job, but there are also criminal elements masquerading as protesters who are engaging in looting and violence.We condemn this strongly - it is unacceptable and illegal," Kirui said.

"However, the political class, including the president, is to blame for not implementing reforms and not addressing the public's demands for accountability and good governance."

Dr. Samson Arap Tim of the Baringo Human Rights Consortium echoed this assessment, criticizing the president's choice of advisors.

"The ministers the president had chosen were not suitable. When he chooses new ministers, he should not follow a person's wealth, but rather their qualifications, education, and track record of helping people," Dr. Tim said.

The activists are also warning that opposition parties are attempting to hijack the youth-led demonstrations for their own political gain.

They say that opposition parties, who aim to join the "Gen Z" protesters, are likely hoping to capitalize on the unrest and return to power.

"The opposition parties are taking advantage of the situation. They are now joining the Gen Z protesters, wishing that they should be in power.

Once they are in power, they could be doing the same things that the UDA [the ruling party] are doing," said Kimutai Kirui.

In a bid to quell the unrest, President Ruto announced the dismissal of almost his entire cabinet on July 11 and pledged to form a "broad-based government."

However, Nakuru Human Rights Defender, Western CEO David Kuria believes this is not enough, calling for the entire government to resign and new elections to be held.

Kuria also condemned the excessive use of force by police against protesters, stating; "The president, while he was serving as deputy promised there would be no more extrajudicial killings and abductions, but the indiscriminate killings have been even worse than under previous governments. The police must be disciplined, and justice must be served for those who have been oppressed."

This sentiment was echoed by the recent shooting of a journalist, Wanjeri Kariuki, who was covering an anti-government protest in Nakuru.

Police in Nakuru on Wednesday, July 16, 2024, directly shot Wanjeri Kariuki, a K24 TV and Kameme FM reporter, thrice on her left thigh while she was covering an antigovernment Gen Z protest in the city.

 The unprovoked shooting left her fellow journalists in awe because she was clearly adorning a press jacket that was visible from afar.

On July 4, 2024, the Police Reforms Working Group-Kenya (PRWG-K) condemned the use of violence by police during the recent antigovernment protests.

“We strongly condemn the violence witnessed during the recent protests in Kenya, which has resulted from both the excessive use of force by law enforcement and the presence of what appears to be hired goons."

"The police's use of lethal crowd control weapons like water cannons, tear gas, and live ammunition against peaceful demonstrators has led to unnecessary injuries and fatalities, escalating tensions and undermining the citizens' rights to assemble, demonstrate, picket and petition, which is enshrined in Article 37 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010,” PRWG-K said in a statement.

As Kenya remains in a state of turmoil, the human rights activists are urging President Ruto to meaningfully address the demands of the people.

They warn that failure to do so could further inflame the protests and unrest sweeping the country.

On July 18, 2024, Kenya's government ratcheted up its appeal for weeks of protests to stop as police banned demonstrations in the heart of the capital Nairobi, saying they had been infiltrated by criminal gangs.