Africans Rising, alongside 400 civil society organisations and movements, have condemned the killings of young Kenyans who were protesting against the punitive Finance Bill 2024.
In a letter to President William Ruto, organisations criticised him for allowing police and security officers to open fire on unarmed civilians, resulting in several deaths.
They urged Ruto's administration to cease the killing of innocent Kenyans protesting against excessive taxation by a regime plagued with corruption.
“We have seen videos of people being shot dead, of dead bodies in the streets of Nairobi. As the Commander-in- Chief, you can order the police and security forces to desist from firing at the protesters who are merely exercising their constitutional rights,” read the letter in part.
In the same letter, the organisations castigated the government for abducting protesters who were perceived to be the organisers of the protesters.
Reports indicate that several people have been abducted in the past two weeks, with some still missing. The organisations demand the release of all individuals detained by any government agency and insist on strict action against those responsible for these acts.
The organisations also demand the immediate and unconditional release of all arrested protesters.
Additionally, they urged Ruto to respect Kenyans' constitutional rights to assemble and express themselves without intimidation.
“Rampant violation of human rights of protesters as we have seen in the past week are completely unacceptable, “read the letter further.
“Respect human rights of the protesters who are only exercising their constitutional rights to assemble and free expression as enshrined in the Kenyan 2010 Constitution.”
They urged the Kenyan government to de-escalate the situation by addressing protesters' demands regarding over-taxation, corruption, and misgovernance rather than resorting to violence against them.
The organisations also expressed concern that, despite the situation calming down, protesters' lives remain at risk as police continue to track, intimidate, abduct, and violate their rights.
Meanwhile, the organisations hailed Kenya's GenZ for remaining brave despite the heavy opposition they received from the government.
"Despite the violence response, the young people have shown courage. We salute their courage and conviction to see a better Kenya," said the organisations.
