Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has explained how the government is handling information regarding fatalities during the recent anti-government protests.
According to the CS, there is no attempt to conceal the true numbers.
Speaking on Wednesday, July 16, he explained that he announced the number of fatalities as 42 from the June 25 and July 7 demonstrations, based on verified figures from the National Police Service (NPS).
However, he received criticism from human rights organizations, including the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), which has reported a higher death toll of 61.
“Our findings are from the National Police Service records after they conducted a physical analysis. If KNCHR, a national entity, reports 61, we don’t dispute it, but we get our findings from law enforcement officers,” the CS said.
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Murkomen on NPS Report
The National Police Service (NPS) broke down the fatalities as 17 deaths recorded during the June 25 protests and 25 during the Saba Saba demonstrations on July 7.
However, Murkomen noted that some deaths reported during this period may not have been directly linked to the protests.
“Bear in mind that there could have been some whose reported deaths are higher or lower but resulted not necessarily from the protests, yet were listed,” he explained.
Further, the CS noted that the government values the right to life and is committed to accountability, noting that any loss of life is regrettable.
“Like the case of the little girl who died, it’s very painful that she lost her life.”
“Nobody has the intention to hide numbers. We are ready to tally the numbers for accountability. There is no gain in hiding the numbers, but we want proper investigations done,” he added.
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Criticism From Kenyans and Civil Society
His statement comes amid pressure from civil society and the public to clarify the full impact of the protests.
Moreover, reports of multiple victims have been documented with gunshot wounds, and families have accused police of using excessive force during the demonstrations.
Murkomen said that the government is open to harmonizing figures with credible organizations and is not opposed to collaboration on the issue.
While speaking during a State of Security address in Nairobi on Tuesday, July 15, Murkomen noted that hundreds of suspects had been arrested countrywide in connection with destruction during protests on July 7.
Further, confirmed that 1,500 people had been arrested countrywide and were facing various charges, ranging from terrorism and malicious property damage to murder.
The CS is set to issue a policy directive to the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, on Friday, July 18, on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officers.
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