The United Nations (UN) has condemned the excessive use of force and especially the misuse of tear gas during anti-government protests on Tuesday, July 16.
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Kenya, Country Representative Shaheen Nilofer criticized the National Police Service (NPS) for unleashing tear gas canisters near schools.
Nilofer stated that police should never target children during protests but instead should ensure their safety.
“I am deeply concerned about reports of tear gas entering Mwiyala Primary School grounds and affecting school children during today’s protests,” she said. “Children and schools are not, and must never be, targets of violence. Every child’s safety should always be prioritized.”
![United Nations Speaks After Kenyan Police Teargassed School Children](http://thekenyatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/uni2-750x375.jpg)
According to reports, the police threw a tear-gas canister near Mwiyala Primary school when the confrontations in with the protesters.
In the video shared on social media, the pupils are heard crying, complaining of itching eyes, gasping for breath while others were rushing to wash their faces in one of the water tanks.
LSK President Backs United Nations
Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo condemned the incident stating that “Children should never be attacked. We need answers!”
Besides, there was also another video of school children crying after being teargassed by police at Makadara Law Courts in Nairobi.
The children were allegedly on their way home from school when police lobbed teargas at them.
In the video, a woman is heard offering to accommodate them in her school to protect them from the chaos.
Additionally, a child was shot in the leg during the protests in Nairobi CBD. The child was shot on his right leg before a group of men frantically rushed him to the hospital.
Also Read: Moha Jicho Pevu Calls Out Citizen TV & NTV
4 People Killed in Protests
Four more people were killed during the nationwide anti-government protests on Tuesday, July 16, taking the death toll to 54 since the demonstrations began around a month ago.
One of the victims was shot dead in Kitengela, Kajiado County, where the police used teargas canisters to engage the protesters.
Another was shot dead along Moi Avenue in the Nairobi CBD while running away from the protests.
Two people have also been reported dead after being shot by police officers during protests in Kibwezi, Makueni County.
Also Read: Interior Ministry to Declare Official Protest Zones
KNCHR Statistics
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) earlier reported that 50 had been killed since the demos started.
KNCHR recorded 82 more injuries on Tuesday, taking the number to 574 while there were 77 more arrests, pushing the tally to 1,201 since the protests began.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel for real-time news updates!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaB3k54HltYFiQ1f2i2C
![Ruto, protests](http://thekenyatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GRQhKcCWsAAsqLr-750x375.jpg)
Discussion about this post