Kindiki refutes human rights claims: 25 dead, 400 injured in protests

Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki stated that only 25 people had died during the anti-finance bill and anti-government protests.

On Thursday night, Kindiki spoke on Citizen TV’s The Tonight Show. However, he dismissed reports from human rights organizations that claimed that over 40 people had died and more than 600 had been injured during the protests. Instead, he stated that only 25 people had lost their lives.

He disclosed that the chaos had injured only 400 people, including 43 police officers. Furthermore, this contradicted reports of the alleged Githurai massacre, which claimed that scores of people were hurt.

“The people who have died out of these protests are 25, and nearly 400 people were injured, including 43 police officers. I have heard of 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 at anybody, but we have lost 25 people,”Kindiki stated.

Kindiki Vows to Investigate Deaths in Protest Incidents

Kindiki emphasized the government’s commitment to investigating the deaths, noting that most of the 25 deaths resulted from gunshots, while the rest succumbed to injuries sustained during beatings.

He also mentioned that the government had already started an investigation into the killings, with plans to prosecute those found responsible.

“Many of them died out of gunshot wounds, but others died out of blunt objects and trauma caused by beatings and assault, and I want to assure the people of Kenya that for every single person who died, we will account for each of them,” Kindiki said.

Kindiki emphasized that the government had a record of each death and how each person had died.

“We have an account of each and every death and the manner in which they died. Many of them died of gunshot wounds, and we have activated ballistic and accosting units of the DCI, the Crime Research and the Intelligence Bureau to help us account for not only the source of ammunition that killed the people of Kenya but also the circumstances in which they were killed.”

Kindiki defends police actions despite excessive force claims.

Despite acknowledging that some police officers used excessive violence, Kindiki defended their actions, stating that the law allowed police to use lethal force in specific circumstances as part of their law enforcement duties.

He argued that, according to the law, officers could take such measures if their lives or the lives of others were threatened.

“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), the demonstrations resulted in 43 deaths and over 600 injuries.