KENYA’S POLICE CHIEF RESIGNS AMID CRITICISM OVER PROTEST CRACKDOWN

Fri 12 July 2024:

Kenya’s police chief, Inspector General Japhet Koome, has resigned following criticism of the police’s handling of recent antigovernment protests in which dozens of demonstrators were killed. President William Ruto accepted Koome’s resignation, the presidency announced on Friday.

Deputy Inspector-General Douglas Kanja has been appointed as the acting police chief with immediate effect. This announcement came shortly after President Ruto dismissed nearly his entire cabinet, responding to protesters’ demands.

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The protests, which have been the most significant challenge to Ruto’s presidency, saw police accused of using excessive force. Kenya’s national rights watchdog reported that at least 39 people were killed during the demonstrations.

Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi, reporting from Nairobi, noted the significance of Koome’s resignation, stating, “This is what these young protesters and many other Kenyans have been asking for. They were asking for the police chief to resign because of how he handled those protests.”

Protesters accused the police of using not just tear gas but live bullets, resulting in injuries and fatalities. In response to the unrest, Ruto has made several concessions, including abandoning a controversial finance bill and dismissing most of his cabinet members. However, some young Kenyans remain dissatisfied with his leadership and unfulfilled election promises.

The protests, which began peacefully, escalated sharply when police fired at crowds storming parliament on June 25. While large-scale protests have decreased, public anger towards the government and police remains high.

“We will be back on the streets until Ruto goes. He has wasted two years in office travelling and telling lies,” said Hyrence Mwangi, 25. Similarly, Jackson Rotich, 27, expressed distrust in the president, stating, “When we first went to the streets, Ruto dismissed us as a bunch of hired goons and criminals, only to come later and start saying he will make changes. We can’t trust him.”

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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