For the first time, the Kenyan government has publicly acknowledged the deaths, disappearances, and arrests that occurred during the recent wave of anti-government protests.
Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki revealed to the National Assembly Committee that the numbers of casualties, disappearances, and arrests during protests, which erupted in June and July over tax increases in the 2024 Finance Bill.
"There were 42 cases of people who lost their lives during the Gen-Z demonstrations; a total of 1,208 people were arrested countrywide during the demonstrations, and most of the cases are still pending before court for various charges," Minister Kindiki told the lawmakers.
Kindiki stated that most of the cases of those arrested during the June-July protests are still pending before the courts. He emphasized the government's commitment to holding those responsible for violence accountable, regardless of their affiliation.
Regarding the missing individuals, the minister said that 132 people have been reported missing by police stations across the country. He asserted that the government does not condone abductions, extrajudicial killings, or enforced disappearances.
However, Kindiki justified the use of lethal force in certain instances, citing the storming and burning of a section of the parliament building in Nairobi by protesters as a reason for the police response.
"If police never used lethal force during the invasion of parliament, we would never have a Kenya like we have today," he argued.