Wednesday protests: UK, US, 10 other embassies condemn use of goons, plain-clothed police

Wednesday protests: UK, US, 10 other embassies condemn use of goons, plain-clothed police

Men armed with whips, sticks and clubs grab throw stones to protesters in downtown Nairobi on June 17, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Twelve embassies in Kenya have urged President William Ruto’s government to respect citizens’ right to peaceful assembly and to express themselves.

This is ahead of Wednesday’s planned demonstration in honour of the over 60 protesters killed and hundreds more injured during last year’s anti-finance bill protests in June and July.

In a Tuesday joint statement, ambassadors and high commissioners of Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, Norway, Canada, the UK, the US, Sweden, and Finland called for peaceful demonstrations and a refrain from violence.

They especially pointed out that the use of plain-clothed law enforcement officers in unmarked vehicles is illegal, per a High Court ruling, and called for full compliance.

The embassies also took issue with the deployment of ‘goons’ to disrupt peaceful gatherings as seen in recent protests in Nairobi over the death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody, where youth groups armed with clubs confronted protesters and robbed passers-by.

“Protecting the right to protest is vital to preserving civic space and a cornerstone of Kenya's vibrant democracy,” read the statement, further calling for an expedited probe into already-reported cases of violence against peaceful protestors.

On June 25, 2024, youthful protesters broke through Parliament barricades and entered the building, as lawmakers were debating the later-withdrawn 2024 Finance Bill that had sparked widespread outrage over its proposal to increase taxation.

At least 60 people were killed in the anti-tax protests and subsequent anti-government demos going into June 2024, per the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

The commission also documented 1,376 arbitrary arrests between June 18 and November 20, as well as 610 injuries ranging from deep fractures, bullet wounds, soft tissue injuries, and inhalation of tear gas.

Twenty-five cases of injuries to police were also documented.

Ahead of Wednesday’s first-anniversary protest, police have said they are fully prepared to ensure the safety of protesters and those not demonstrating.

“Let’s restrict ourselves to peaceful demonstrations; not demonstrations which are going to interfere with other people who may not be part of the demonstrators,” Nairobi Regional Police Commander George Seda told reporters last week.

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