Inside Pan-African human rights defenders' letter to President Ruto

Protestors occupy Kimanthi Street during the protest against Finance Bill 2024 in Nairobi on June 25, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

A movement comprising about four hundred African Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have jointly penned down an open letter to President William Ruto urging him to prevent further violation of the rights of peaceful protesters.

Led by Africa Rising, a pan African champion for peace, justice and dignity, the organisations have voiced their concern over the recent spate of protest related abductions, use of live rounds of ammunition, among other violations of the human rights of peaceful protesters in Nairobi, and across the country.

“Since the beginning of the protests we have observed that the protests have been peaceful and yet protesters have been confronted with violence by the police and other security forces. That violence resulted in the death of some protesters, killed by their own country’s police,” partly reads the statement.

“We strongly condemn the gross violations of the human rights of the protesters.”

According to the group, President Ruto must end the killing of protesters, stop abductions, respect the rights of those protesting, release all protesters in police custody and address the issues raised by the concerned Kenyans.

The organisations say that anti-tax protesters have raised genuine issues as evidenced by the popularity of the dissent to the Finance Bill 2024 thus must be allowed to express themselves without curtailing their rights.

“We believe that in the spirit of Ubuntu, whatever affects one African affects all Africans,” reads the statement.

Their demands to President Ruto come hours before the country witnesses another round of protests on Tuesday, July 2.