Cry for justice for lives lost during protests

Casket bearing remains of Rex Kanyike Masai during his burial ceremony at Kamuthanga Secondary School in Machakos County on July 5, 2024. [John Muia, Standard]

It has been six weeks of anti-government protests across the county.

As Kenyans continue to take to the streets to show their displeasure with the Kenya Kwanza administration, families that lost their loved ones are yet to find justice.

To commemorate a month since some protestors were felled by police bullets as they breached Parliament, activists on Thursday, July 25 planned to present a petition to the office of the President for the compensation of families.

They had also planned to march to parliament and lay flowers at the spot some of the protesters were killed.

But this was thwarted by police. Instead, the explosion of teargas canisters rent the air along Muindi Mbingu Street Thursday.

Activist Boniface Mwangi, who was leading the push, was arrested among others, with police quickly whisking them away carrying their images of protests, coffins and crosses.

“We are here to protest about police killings and brutality, they have many of our comrades, they are kidnapping our people they are killing and that is why we are here,” said Mwangi moments before his arrest.

His lawyer James Wa Njeri was also briefly detained at Central Police Station when he went to secure Mwangi’s release.

After being freed, Wa Njeri said the violent response from the police was not warranted since they had notified them of their intentions as required by law.

“Instead of the police providing protection and guiding protestors, what we saw today was the use of teargas ammunition against the protestors,” he said.

According to the lawyer, Mwangi was being held for causing disturbance, yet his reasons for going to the streets had been laid out in a letter they sent and was received by government.

“The police have repeatedly said that notices have to be issued and notice was issued, why were they arrested?” posed Wa Njeri.

Mwangi and four others were taken to court on Friday and charged with unlawful assembly and publication of false information.

They were freed on a Sh20,000 cash bail.

Activist Boniface Mwangi being hurled into a police vehicle by plain cloth police officers along Koinange Street during a protest in memory of lives lost during the Gen-Z demonstrations on July 25, 2024. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

Behind these acts of violence from the security agencies the unwavering spirit of Kenyans agitating for good governance has been visible for all to see.

However, focus is on President William Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza administration's response to the cries of families of the victims of police brutality. Activists and Kenyans in different parts of the country have been calling on the government to take responsibility for the actions of its agents who are being blamed not just for the loss of lives but for injuries sustained.

Lobby groups say the number of those killed in the six weeks of protests currently stands at 60.

A further 66 have been abducted or are missing, 1,376 people have been arrested and 601 injuries have been reported.

The activists say that there are not just numbers but real people and families who are now victims.

Among those who had come for the march was Ann Wanjira.

Her son, Evans Kiratu, 21, was killed on June 20 after he was hit by a teargas cannister fired by a police officer in Nairobi’s CBD.

“It was very unfortunate that police officers confronted us with teargas canisters,” she said.

She condemned the response from the police saying it was not warranted since they only took part in a peaceful march and the only thing that they carried were her son’s portrait, flowers, handkerchiefs and their mobile phones.

Kiratu’s aunt Racheal and her husband Albert Wambugu were among those arrested by police officers and bundled into their vehicle, which quickly drove towards Central Police Station.

“You killed my ‘son’ and now you are arresting me,” she could be heard shouting as the police took her away.

Jane Nduta, whose son David Chege was also killed during the demos says her family is certain that he was killed by a police bullet, which was confirmed in an autopsy.

What they do not know is who fired the killer shot.

“He says this and then says a different thing, even the promise to compensate us, I know he won’t,” she says in reference to the conflicting statements from President Ruto over the protests.

“We have seen them on TV holding guns and in civilian attires.”

According to Nduta she is yet to see any officials from the government conduct a fact-finding visit to her or even offer a message of condolence. Only activists did.

“He is the president and should be a good example and he has a family so he should understand our pain.”

Hussein Khalid, an activist with Vocal Africa, said that activists and other Kenyans will continue to exercise their constitutional right to picket while calling on the government to stop the killings and hold ‘killer cops’ accountable.

Njeri Mwangi, a journalist and activist, said that police should be protecting the protestors and property and not brutalising the peaceful protestors.

She called for the arrest of officers responsible for the killings and injuries suffered by the protestors adding that the fight will also benefit the same officers.

“There are many more who are missing, we do not know their whereabouts, we do not know whether they are dead or alive and that is concerning,” she said.

Another face that has become synonymous with the protests is Kasmuel McOure.

McOure in his address to the media which ended abruptly after the police intervened, criticised the response from the police.

“Whatever you have seen is the violence that they have been meeting on us; we were only armed with flowers and our voices; we will not forget,'' he said.