As it happens7:03Activist says, “ready to do the Kenyan demonstrators by doing everything that it takes.”
When Mugure Njehia moved to the streets of Nairobi on Wednesday, she did not expect anyone to die.
It was among the thousand A tremendous protest against the government one year ago.
“In Sadni, I thought today would be a quiet day because we were only celebrating those who died last year,” As it happens Nil Kӧksal host.
“But today it has just turned into a protest, because the police cannot let us be.”
As was the case last year, protests on Wednesday witnessed armed officers with weapons fighting young demonstrators in the streets of Nairobi and all over the country. The number of death was not yet clear, but the amnesty organization from the Labor Rights Group stated that 16 people were killed from Wednesday evening – most of them by the police.
Kenny Motheiri Niaga Police spokesman declined to comment on the reported deaths.
Tear gas, water guns and live ammunition
The Executive Director of Pardon in Kenya, Irungu Houghton, told Reuters, and its outcome has been verified by the World Rights Authority and the Kenya National Human Rights Committee (KNCHR). He said that at least five victims were shot.
Earlier in the day, the government funded KNCR reported eight deaths throughout the country, all of which are “fireworks”.
The Supervisory Authority said that there are more than 400 victims in total, and he noticed the deployment of heavy police and “allegations of excessive use of force, including rubber bullets, live ammunition and water cannons, which leads to many injuries.”
Najihi, who mocked her face with toothpaste to neutralize the effects of tear gas, says she saw the police spreading gas against the demonstrators, along with rubber bullets, live ammunition and water cannons.
“I have seen a young group of people ready to do everything necessary to ensure that their future is bright, and to ensure our nation is properly controlled,” said Najihi, 29, a member of the GEN-Z at the Gen-Z Group.
“On the other side, I saw a fearful government of her country’s youth. I saw a government that was not ready to listen to the youth. I saw a government ready to kill us.”
Anti -tax protests become greater
What started last year as an uprising against the proposed tax increases on the poor population has already turned into a massive movement against corruption, the high cost of living and government violence.
And that movement, as Najia says, is led by young people.
Najia said: “Our biggest motivation now is our lack of hope, is disappointment, is our lack of jobs, is the fact that our potential to be great is the decrease in exchange.”
Average age in Kenya is 19 years oldAnd nearly 40 percent of the population lives in povertyAccording to government figures.
Najihi said: “We are ready to risk a lot because this government has proven to us that they are not afraid of our killing.” “And if they do not kill us physically, they kill our hope and kill our dreams.”
Last year’s protests fell less than a week, when Kenyan President William Roto was Pulling the proposed tax height.
But public anger may only intensify those who were killed in the June 2024 clashes, as well as other deaths and the unjustified disappearance that followed.
“We are fighting for the rights of our young colleagues, Kenyans and people who have died since June 25,” said Lumumba Harmoni, a protester in Nairobi.
The demonic protester said that Kenya’s youth “are tired.
“People are kidnapped, and people are killed,” he said. “The police began using very bad force at this rate.”
Recently, the demonstrators gathered in the name of Albert Oujuang, a 31 -year -old blogger and teacher who died in the police seizure earlier this month.
It was directed to six people, including three police officers, killing him on Tuesday. They all admitted that they are not guilty.
“If we did not go to the street on Monday, June 11, they would have covered that death,” Najia said. “So in Kenya, nothing has changed.”
The president’s calls for calm, the government closes television news
On Wednesday, Roto urged the demonstrators not to “destroy” the country.
“We have no other country that we go to when things get worse. We have the responsibility of maintaining the safety of our country,” he said while attending a burial in the coastal Kenya as two orders accused of Nairobi’s office.
The Kenya Communications Authority has ordered the local media to stop broadcasting the direct broadcast of the demonstration.
Kenyan NTV and KTN channels were temporarily withdrawn from the air to challenge the matter, but the installation was re -installed after the court considered it unconstitutional.
“It only proves that the government is doing something wrong, and for this reason they do not want the masses to see what they are doing,” Najia said.
I called on the international community to support the demonstrators.
“Things are not improving. In fact, things get worse. We need help,” she said.
“Those in the international justice system, they need to come and help us, otherwise we will die, we are all.”
With the files from Reuters and the Associated Press. An interview with Sophie Muguure Njehia produced by Cassie Argao
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