Silverio Omari
Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki stated that only 25 people lost their lives during the anti-Finance Bill and anti-government protests. Speaking on Citizen TV’s “The Tonight Show” on Thursday night, Kindiki dismissed reports from human rights organizations claiming that more than 40 people died and over 600 were injured during the protests.
Kindiki revealed that around 400 people were injured in the unrest, including 43 police officers, contradicting reports of the alleged Githurai massacre, which claimed scores of injuries. “The people who have died out of these protests are 25, and nearly 400 people were injured, including 43 police officers. I have heard other figures, including the ones you are quoting, but I also heard about a massacre in Githurai from other sources which turned out not to be true, so I don’t want to cast aspersions on anybody, but we have lost 25 people,” he stated.
Expressing the government’s commitment to investigating the deaths, Kindiki clarified that most of the 25 people killed were shot, while the rest died from injuries sustained during beatings.
“The majority of them died from gunshot wounds, but others died from blunt force trauma caused by beatings and assaults. I want to assure the people of Kenya that for every single person who died, we will account for each of them,” he said.
“We have an account of each and every death and the manner in which they died. Many of them died from gunshot wounds, and we have activated the ballistic and forensic units of the DCI, the Crime Research, and the Intelligence Bureau to help us trace the source of the ammunition that killed the people of Kenya and the circumstances under which they were killed.”
Despite acknowledging that some police officers used excessive force, the CS defended their actions, noting that the law permits police to use lethal force under certain circumstances as part of their law enforcement duties.
Kindiki asserted that if the lives of officers or civilians are threatened, the law allows them to take such measures.
“Law enforcers are allowed to use lethal force, but only in very exceptional circumstances where their own lives or the lives of others are in grave danger,” he said.
According to the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), 43 people were killed during the demonstrations, and over 600 were injured.
Dj Vnyash
