Nairobi March Honors Victims of Deadly Anti-Government Protests, as Ruto Denies Responsibility
Hundreds of people marched in Nairobi on Sunday to honor those who died in recent anti-government protests, while President William Ruto insisted, “I have no blood on my hands.”
Rights groups report that at least 30 people were killed in the demonstrations sparked by the government’s decision to significantly raise taxes. In a television interview, Ruto put the death toll at 19, marking the first official figures released. He promised a full investigation into the fatalities.
The largely peaceful rallies turned violent last Tuesday after lawmakers, under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), approved the controversial tax hikes. Police opened fire on protesters who stormed the parliament complex, and a fire broke out.
“I have no blood on my hands,” Ruto reiterated during the interview. “It is very unfortunate. As a democracy, that should not be part of our conversation… There will be an investigation into how these 19 Kenyans died. There will be an explanation for each and every one of them.”
Ruto defended the police, stating, “The police have done the best they could. If there have been any excesses, we have mechanisms to ensure that those excesses are dealt with.”
These clashes are unprecedented in Kenya’s history since its independence from Britain in 1963.
On Saturday, a few hundred people gathered in Uhuru Park in central Nairobi, following a call on social media. After singing and lighting candles, they waved Kenyan flags and chanted as they marched past the hospital where some of the injured protesters are being treated. The demonstrators dispersed peacefully late in the afternoon.
Following the deadly protests on June 25, Ruto’s administration ultimately withdrew the tax bill.