Kenyan protests claim 39 lives as new demonstrations loom

A total of 39 people have been killed in anti-government demonstrations in Kenya, the national rights watchdog said, as activists geared up for a new round of protests this week.

The toll announced on Monday by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights is almost double the figure previously disclosed by the authorities for those killed while contesting a raft of deeply unpopular tax increases that have now been withdrawn.

"Data from our records indicates that thirty-nine people have died and three hundred and sixty-one injured in relation to the protests countrywide," the st ate-funded body said in a statement, adding that the figures covered the period from June 18 to July 1.

It also said there had been 32 cases of "enforced or involuntary disappearances" and 627 arrests of protesters.

Largely peaceful anti-tax rallies descended into shocking scenes of deadly violence last Tuesday when lawmakers passed the contentious legislation.

After the vote was announced, crowds ransacked the parliament complex in central Nairobi and it was partly set ablaze as police fired live bullets at protesters.

It is the most serious crisis to confront President William Ruto since he took office in September 2022 following a deeply divisive election in a nation often considered a beacon of stability in a turbulent region.

Youth-led protests spreading on social media

The protests, which have been led by young people and organised largely on social media, were initially sparked by a finance bill intended to raise 346 billion Kenyan shillings ($2.69 billion) in taxes.

But the demands of many protesters have escalated over the past two weeks, including calls to root out corruption and for Ruto to step down, presenting the most serious crisis of his two-year presidency.

An interview Ruto gave on Sunday evening to Kenyan television networks, in which he mostly defended the actions of the police and his government, seemed to have only hardened the positions of protesters.

On Monday, activists shared pamphlets on social media urging people to occupy Nairobi's Central Business District. Many posted under the hashtag #OccupyCBDTuesday.

The protest movement has no official leadership, and it was not clear to what extent people would respond to these calls after tens of thousands came out last week in some of the country's largest protests in recent memory.

In audio forums on social media, activists have been discussing how to maintain momentum now that the immediate objective of killing the finance bill has been attained.

'Criminals'

In his interview on Sunday, Ruto reiterated his previous calls for dialogue with young people. He said he was prepared to do this in a forum of their choosing, including the X Spaces, where they often gather to discuss issues and strategies.

Many protesters reject the calls for dialogue, seeing them as an effort to co-opt the movement.

"You can’t dialogue with someone who is killing you on the other hand," one activist said during an X Space over the weekend.

Ruto defended the conduct of the police in his interview, saying they had done the best they could under the circumstances and blaming "criminals" who he said had hijacked peaceful protests.