Kindiki’s Protests Deaths and Injured Numbers Conflict With Human Rights Figures
According to Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki, only 25 people were killed during protests against the Finance Bill and the government.
Kindiki appeared on Citizen TV’s The Tonight Show on Thursday night, dismissing reports from human rights organizations that more than 40 people were killed and over 600 were injured during the protests.
He stated that only 400 people were injured in the melee, including 43 police officers, contradicting reports of the alleged Githurai massacre, in which scores of people were reportedly injured.
“The people who have died out of these protests are 25 and nearly 400 people were injured including 43 police officers,” he stated.
“I have heard of other figures including the ones you are quoting, but I also had heard about a massacre in Githurai from other sources which turned out not to be true so I don’t want to cast aspersions at anybody but we have lost 25 people.”
Prof Kithure Kindiki, CS Interior: I did present and briefed the Cabinet on what has transpired in our country during the last 2 weeks and part of that outcome is that we have lost 25 people and nearly 400 people were injured including 43 police officers. I also had heard earlier… pic.twitter.com/koB16CFlt8
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 4, 2024
Kindiki, who expressed the government’s commitment to investigating the deaths, clarified that the majority of the 25 people killed were shot, with the remainder dying from injuries sustained during beatings.
He stated that the government has since launched an investigation into the killings and that those found responsible will face prosecution.
“Many of them died out of gunshot wounds but others died out of blunt objects and trauma caused by beatings and assault and I want to assure the people of Kenyan that of every single person who died, we will account for each of them,” he said.
Prof Kithure Kindiki: We have an account of every death, many of them died out of gunshot wounds. We have activated the ballistic unit of the DCI and the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau to help us account for the source of ammunition that killed Kenyans but also the… pic.twitter.com/yJV3W7d477
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 4, 2024
“We have an account of each and every death, the manner in which they died.
“Many of them died of gunshot wounds and we have activated ballistic and accosting units of the DCI, the Crime Research and the Intelligence Bureau to help us account for the source of ammunition that killed the people of Kenya but also the circumstances they were killed.”
Despite acknowledging that some police officers used excessive force, the CS defended the officers’ actions, pointing out that the law allows police to use lethal force in certain circumstances as part of their law enforcement mandate.
Kindi claimed that if officers’ or citizens’ lives are threatened, the law allows them to take such action.
“Law enforcers are allowed to use lethal force but only in very exceptional circumstances where their own lives or the lives of people are in grave danger,” he said.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) reports that 43 people were killed during the demonstrations, with over 600 injured.
Kindiki’s Protests Deaths and Injured Numbers Conflict With Human Rights Figures
