A Kenyan court has barred the national police service from killing, abducting, harassing, and detaining protesters against the Finance Bill 2024. This order comes after more than a week of violent protests where police reportedly killed about 25 protesters, abducted over 50, and injured hundreds.
The Federal High Court in Kenya issued the order on Friday following a petition filed by Saitabao Ole Kanchory. The petition was in response to the brutal actions of the police during the protests. The court’s ruling prohibits the police from committing extrajudicial killings and from arresting, abducting, detaining, harassing, intimidating, torturing, or treating protesters in a cruel, inhuman, or degrading manner.
Mr. Kanchory’s petition named the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, and Attorney General Justin Muturi as respondents. The protests erupted in opposition to the Finance Bill, which proposes taxes on cars, phones, bread, sanitary pads, and other commodities.
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President William Ruto, in a live broadcast, called the protests a “treasonous event” after they turned violent on Tuesday. Before his broadcast, Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Bare Duale deployed the Kenyan Defence Forces to assist the police in controlling the demonstrations.
Amnesty International condemned the government’s actions, accusing President Ruto of inciting violence and deploying snipers to shoot protesters. The organization stated that Ruto should be tried at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.
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