HRF condemns Kenyan authorities’ deadly suppression of nationwide #RejectFuelPrices protests. William Ruto came to power promising prosperity. Instead, his regime has passed the costs of austerity onto those least able to bear it. In a repeating pattern, those who object are shot or violently detained with zero accountability.
On May 15, Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority raised diesel prices by 23.5% and petrol by 8%, the second consecutive monthly hike of that scale, pushing diesel to a record high. The Transport Sector Alliance called a nationwide strike, blocking roads into Nairobi and major towns. Police fired tear gas and live rounds against demonstrators, while organized groups of thugs aligned with ruling politicians attacked citizens and carried out looting. At least six people have been killed — most of them from gunshot wounds — while 30 others have been injured.
In an apparent act of political intimidation, authorities detained the chief inspector of Nairobi Central Police Station, Dishen Angoya, after accusing him of unlawfully releasing 64 detained protesters on police bond without proper authority. Angoya fell ill while in custody at the Lang’ata Police Station and was rushed to the hospital. He was released from custody following the intervention of The Law Society of Kenya.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations announced the arrests of 710 people accused of being suspects in “criminal activities” during the protests. Some of them face charges of obstructing the operations of vehicles on the road, but Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud threatened to file “serious charges,” including economic sabotage, against 225 protesters. The Law Society of Kenya and the Police Reforms Working Group have denounced rhetoric branding peaceful protesters and boycott organizers as economic saboteurs.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen blamed the unrest on a coordinated campaign involving criminal gangs and unnamed political actors that he said sought to destabilize the country. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights deplored that peaceful protests turned to violent confrontations and called for investigations into the violence and prosecution of individuals responsible for destruction of property, attacks on civilians, and human rights violations during the demonstrations, reminding police not to use excessive force.
