Protests Erupted At Lukashenko's African Friend's House

• 26.06.2025, 9:15

It got to the point of large-scale clashes with the police.

Sixteen people died in nationwide anti-government protests in Kenya on Wednesday, most of them killed by police, Amnesty Kenya head Irungu Houghton said. It comes a year after bloody demonstrations against a tax bill that ended with the storming of parliament, writes Reuters.

According to local media and a Reuters eyewitness, thousands of Kenyans took to the streets on June 25 to honor the victims of last year's demonstrations that killed more than 60 people. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them in the capital Nairobi.

Amnesty Kenya chief Irungu Houghton told Reuters that some protesters clashed with police, and 16 people have already been confirmed dead. He added that the figures had been verified by the World Human Rights Watch and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).

"Most of them were killed by the police," Houghton said, adding that at least five victims had been shot dead.

The government-funded KNCHR earlier reported that eight deaths were reported nationwide, all "presumably from gunshot wounds."

"More than 400 victims are reported, including demonstrators, police officers and journalists," the KNCHR said in a statement posted on its official X account.

The watchdog noted the heavy deployment of police and "allegations of excessive use of force, including rubber bullets, live ammunition and water cannons, resulting in numerous injuries."

A Kenyan police spokesman Muchiri Nyaga declined to comment on Amnesty Kenya or KNCHR's statements.

The state-funded Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) said at least 61 people were arrested during the protests.

National electricity supplier Kenya Power said one of its security guards was shot dead while patrolling outside the company's Nairobi office.

Earlier, footage broadcast by Kenya's NTV channel showed large crowds heading towards the presidential residence before the channel and another broadcaster, KTN, were pulled off air for violating an order to stop live coverage of the demonstrations.

The two channels resumed broadcasting later on Wednesday after a court in Nairobi suspended the order issued by the Communications Authority of Kenya.

Collisions with police

According to NTV, separate clashes took place in the port city of Mombasa, while protests also took place in the towns of Kitengela, Kisii, Matuu and Nyeri.

Although last year's protests subsided after President William Ruto withdrew a proposed tax increase, public discontent over excessive use of force by security forces persisted. In addition, now in June, a blogger has died after being detained by police.

Kenya bloodshed. The president has withdrawn a tax law and promised to launch a nationwide dialog

Six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder Tuesday in connection with the killing of 31-year-old blogger and teacher Albert Oiwang. All have pleaded not guilty.

Oiwang's death has sparked protests for Kenyans who are still mourning those killed in last year's demonstrations, which they blame on security forces. All this comes amid dozens of unexplained disappearances of people.

"We are fighting for the rights of our fellow Kenyans and the people who have died since June 25...we want justice," protester Lumumba Harmony told Reuters in Nairobi.

Remember, William Ruto became president of Kenya in 2022. At the same time, in 2010-2016, the International Criminal Court in The Hague investigated the case of violence during the 2007 presidential elections, where the politician was an accused - still as the Minister of Education, Science and Technology of this country.

In December 2023, Alexander Lukashenko met with Ruto - first in Dubai, and then in Nairobi. The politicians decided to "intensify bilateral relations." Lukashenko repeatedly invited Ruto to Belarus.