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William Ruto's Cabinet Lauds Police for Being Professional during Finance Bill Protests: "Good Job"

TUKO 2024/7/15
  • Data from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) shows over 40 people were killed by police bullets during the anti-finance bill protests, reclusive of the many injuries
  • The Cabinet met on Thursday in Nairobi under President William Ruto, and the members lauded the police for what they called professionalism while quelling lawlessness during the protests
  • Young Kenyans took to the streets en mass to pressure the state to annul the tax-filled Finance Bill 2024

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Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi: The state law enforcers have been praised for their conduct during the recent anti-finance bill protests.

Kenya police.
Kenya police officers walking past protesters in the Nairobi CBD during the anti-finance bill protests. Photo: Boniface Muthoni. Source: Getty Images

Young Kenyans took to the streets to strongly disapprove of the tax-laden Finance Bill 2024, which they argued would hurt their financial wellness.

Police were deployed to quell pockets of violence and lawlessness allegedly perpetrated by sections of the protesters.

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What did Ruto's Cabinet say?

Several were killed, and others were severely injured by police action.

A Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto on Thursday commended the work of the police.

The National Executive under Ruto argued that the law enforcers were taking on anarchists, who supposedly posed a threat to parliament, the Supreme Court and other infrastructure, suggesting that it was in the officers' place to employ force that led to loss of lives and injuries.

"The members commended security officers, pointing out that they, on the whole, acted professionally in very difficult circumstances. The Cabinet also noted that security agencies did a good job of protecting the country from anarchists," a post-meeting dispatch from State House Nairobi partly read.

This was as the members called for action against those who perpetrated arson and robbery and looted business enterprises in the heat of the mass action protests.

The Cabinet did not, however, wish away the excesses on the side of law enforcers.

It said that any officers who acted outside the confines of the law would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

This came in light of a report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), which indicates that as of Monday, July 1, over 40 deaths and 361 injuries resulted from the protests.

Deaths reported from anti-finance bill protests

The dead are from Nairobi (17), Nakuru (3), Laikipia (1), Narok (1), Kajiado (3), Uasin Gishu (4), Kakamega (1), Kisumu (2), Kisii (1), Mombasa (3), Siaya (1), Kiambu (1), and Nandi (1).

The commission also documented 32 cases of abductions and 627 incidents of arbitrary arrests.

It further observed that the state security forces used excessive force against protesters, medical personnel and journalists.

It however did not disregard the damage caused to government properties such as the National Library and parliament buildings.

Fall of Finance Bill 2024

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Source: TUKO.co.ke

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