KNCHR reports 10 dead, dozens injured in Saba Saba protest crackdown

In a press statement issued Monday evening, KNCHR Vice Chairperson Dr. Raymond Nyeris confirmed that by 6:30 p.m., the Commission had documented ten deaths, twenty-nine injuries, two abductions, and thirty-seven arrests in seventeen counties.

The protests, held to commemorate the historic 1990 Saba Saba pro-democracy movement, brought normalcy to a near halt in some parts of the country. 

Major roads and access points, particularly in Nairobi, were blocked by police barricades, limiting movement and access to critical services.

“Many citizens were unable to report to work, despite a directive by the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service requiring government employees to be on duty,” said the statement. 

Businesses across multiple counties remained closed due to fear of looting, with at least six counties reporting confirmed looting incidents.

In a particularly brazen act, suspected criminals set fire to the Kerugoya Central CDF office.

Education was also disrupted throughout the country, with most schools closing, and patients reported being unable to access medical services due to roadblocks. 

Public transportation, including air and rail services, were severely disrupted, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

The commission also expressed concern about the ongoing violation of a court order requiring all officers policing demonstrations to be uniformed and identifiable. 

Instead, KNCHR saw numerous hooded, unidentified officers patrolling in unmarked vehicles in Nairobi, Kajiado, and Nakuru.

Even more concerning was the reported presence of armed criminal gangs working alongside police in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, and Eldoret. 

These gangs, wielding clubs, machetes, and even bows and arrows, allegedly intimidated and assaulted protesters and bystanders.

The Commission also condemned the attack on the Kenya Human Rights Commission's (KHRC) offices, in which hired goons allegedly beat staff and civilians. 

Journalists covering the raid were also assaulted and robbed. ]

KNCHR is calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those behind the attack, who were reportedly captured on CCTV footage.

Furthermore, KNCHR expressed deep concern over increasing harassment and persecution of human rights defenders, noting that more than twenty HRDs have been subjected to arbitrary arrests, beatings, and intimidation in the past week alone.