Kindiki Justifies Use Of Force During Gen Z Protests, Claims Not All Were Shot By Police Bullets

• Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki defended police actions during the June 25 protests, claiming their use of force was necessary to protect national institutions
• Kindiki distanced the police from being solely responsible for the demonstrators' deaths, suggesting not all fatalities resulted from police bullets
• He asserted that the protests posed a significant threat to Kenya's constitutional institutions and likened the situation to the January 26 Capitol riots in the USA
• Kindiki said allowing the protests to escalate could have jeopardised the existence of the country, stressing the need to maintain order

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi - Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has defended the actions of police officers during the Tuesday, June 25 protests that led to the deaths of several demonstrators.

The protests against Finance Bill 2024, led by Generation Z activists, saw the invasion of Parliament buildings, sparking widespread public outcry over police brutality.

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Security and Administration Committee on Thursday, September 26, Kindiki argued that law enforcement was justified in using force.

The CS stated that it was necessary to prevent further chaos and protect critical national institutions.

He, however, distanced the police from being solely responsible for the deaths, suggesting that not all the protesters were shot by police bullets.

"The fact that somebody has been shot is not conclusive evidence that they have been shot by a police officer. Maybe there is a presumption that that bullet belongs to a police officer. It is not correct to argue that police officers cannot use force. If we never applied force on that fateful day we would have been talking about a different Kenya," Kindiki stated in his defence of police actions.

Why were the National Police Service's actions justified?

Kindiki further justified the police response, asserting that the protests posed a threat to the country's constitutional institutions, including Parliament, the Judiciary, and the Executive.

He claimed that had the protesters been allowed to have their way, then Kenya wouldn't be in existence, comparing the situation to the January 26 Capitol riots in the USA.

"If we overthrow constitutional institutions like Parliament, Judiciary, Executive, we have no country. We would not have this discussion because the country would not be there in the first place," he added.

Rights groups call for justice

As reported earlier, at least 300 people were detained during the June 25 anti-Finance Bill protests, with 13 disappearances documented and 27 others still missing, according to claims by lobby groups.

The evidence, documented between July 8 and August 9, confirmed that the police used both lethal and non-lethal weapons, including tear gas, water cannons, and batons.

The groups also alleged that police fired tear gas at protesters, bystanders, and medics, arbitrarily arrested and beat peaceful protesters, and fired live ammunition into crowds.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke

Edday Nderitu Admits To Missing Undisclosed Person In Kenya: "So Much”
Stivo Simple Boy Confirms He'll Be Going For His Concert In Saudi Arabia In September
The Story Of Josh Lucas' Girlfriend, Meteorologist Brianna Ruffalo

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki at a past meeting

Kindiki deny claims police used excessive force and live bullets during

'Kwani Kindiki ni polisi?'- Governor Njuki hits out at Raila on calls