At least 5 victims of yesterday’s protests against the tax law approved by Parliament
The president represses and debases dissent. “They were criminals”
Nairobi. Photo from Ninara’s Flickr profile
The day after the “Pandemonium”, as headlined on the front page Daily Nation This morning (26 June), calm seems to have returned to Kenya. A calm that resembles the drop in nervous tension that comes after a serious shock and feels like being awake.
There are many families who in these hours mourn their dead children and assist those who are injured. The victims of yesterday’s street clashes and police repression would be at least five, but various sources say 10 and even 13. The injured would be at least 115 in Nairobi alone. This was the number of patients admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital as of 6pm yesterday, according to a hospital official. Far too many for a peaceful demonstration in which the only weapons seen in the hands of the demonstrators were slingshots. But the budget is destined to rise. In fact, the news coming from the counties is still very fragmentary – 35 out of 47 participated in the demonstrations against the financial law – where there have also been clashes and unrest.
Preventive kidnappings?
The number of arrests was also very high, even before the demonstrations began. According to statements by human rights organizations, many activists were kidnapped (abducted, write all the articles on the subject), and in particular the influencers who had stimulated the protest through social media. Daily Nation Today he dedicates two insights to the topic. The first recounts the result of the riots: “Protesters incur heavy casualties amid running battles with police”. The second, more specific, says that since Sunday they had been formed special teams tasked with making the influencers at the head of the youth mobilization disappear , of the criminal investigation department. Their goal, says the headline of the article, is to sow fear. It should be underlined that the right to express one’s ideas and demonstrate peacefully is guaranteed by the country’s constitution.
The dynamics of the events that led to the devastation of Parliament yesterday are still not entirely clear. According to the most reliable reconstruction, the crowd of young people gathered in front of Parliament, where the amendments to the budget law were being voted on, increased the pressure on the police cordon when the news spread that the budget law had been approved (with the amendments proposed in the first session) with 195 yes votes and 102 no votes. Many parliamentarians were absent. The police shot and the crowd forced the protective cordon, flooding into the Parliament compound.
The key words of the president (who doesn’t listen)
In his address to the nation at 9pm last night, President William Ruto described the day’s events as treason and declared that the riots had been orchestrated by “criminals” pretending to be peaceful demonstrators. That is, in his opinion, the young people had been manipulated by someone who had used them to foment chaos in the country. And for these occult puppeteers there would be no mercy. Words that debased the young people’s protest without giving them any response, other than the promise of a “conversation” on the issues they raised.
He then announced the deployment of the army to support the police in maintaining calm in the country. The measure is in the Official Gazette as of yesterday, June 25. Who knows, maybe it was already ready before the demonstration. The deployment of the army to maintain public order is considered unconstitutional by the opposition and constitutional experts.
The bishops are with the young people
Institutions and political leaders have officially expressed their opinion on yesterday’s events. The first to come out with a long and detailed press release signed by all the bishops of the country was the Episcopal Conference of Kenya. The document reiterates the need for dialogue, already recommended in the previous days. It is clearly stated that the clashes and disturbances were certainly not the intentions of the young people and the police are advised not to shoot at defenseless demonstrators. The negative opinion on the finance law is also reiterated, which would impose a taxation that cannot be supported by the majority of the population. Finally, we ask that the requests of young people, which the Church is available to support, be respected and taken into consideration.
In the evening, a statement by Western ambassadors was also released, in which they recall the right to peaceful demonstration recognized by the constitution, praise the civic commitment of young people and express concern for what happened that day. The document bears the signature of the embassies of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Romania, Belgium, Great Britain and the United States. The absence of the Italian embassy is notable.
Also speaking on yesterday’s events were the former president, Uhuru Kenyatta, who underlined the need for dialogue, and the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, who asked the African Union and the UN to monitor the situation to « save lives and the country (same ed.)”.
