Africa Uncensored video: Wanjira Wanjiru, co-founder of the PBI-Kenya partner Mathare Social Justice Centre, explains today’s protests.
PBI-Kenya has posted:
VOCAL Africa has also tweeted:
The Kenya Star reports: “Human Rights groups have called on the government to release protesters, observers and journalists arrested on Tuesday during demonstrations. According to the lobby groups, at least 210 peaceful protestors, journalists and observers were arrested during the protests dubbed ‘Occupy Parliament’.”
That article continues: “In a statement, 21 human rights and governance organisations under the Police Reforms Working Group Kenya (PRWG-Kenya) said they are alarmed and outraged by the Tuesday arrests.”
PBI-Kenya is a member of the PRWG-Kenya along with the Social Justice Centres Working Group (SJCW), the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya), HAKI Africa, Amnesty International Kenya and others.
The statement can be read in full here.
The Standard adds: “[Defenders Coalition Executive Director Kamau] Ngugi said the constitution guarantees Kenyans rights to assemble, picket and present petitions to public authorities and that they should not be harassed for expressing their discontent over the tax increase proposals in Finance Bill 2024.”
Government scraps part of Finance Bill
And the BBC now reports: “Kenya’s government has scrapped some proposed taxes in this year’s controversial finance bill, including a 16% levy on bread, after a public outcry. The announcement by MPs came as police fired tear gas and used water cannon to try to disperse angry protesters in the capital, Nairobi. Dozens of people have been arrested, and lawyers earlier joined chanting crowds at the city’s main police station to demand that detainees be freed.”
We continue to follow this.
#OccupyParliament #RejectFinanceBill2024
PBI in Kenya
PBI-Kenya’s partners include “networks of civil society organisations that work together to enhance police accountability and justice, such as Missing Voices and the Police Reforms Working Group – Kenya.”
Last month, on the 10th anniversary of the project, PBI-Kenya country director Alberto Fait commented: “Comrades, today we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of our journey. A journey that we have made together. A journey to advance equality and justice. A journey of courage. A journey of which you all are the protagonists because exposing inequality, corruption, violence requires courage. Standing against intimidation and violence requires courage. Marching against tear gases to exercise our constitutional rights requires courage. Making changes requires courage.”
For more on the Peace Brigades International-Kenya Project, see their website, Facebook page, Instagram page, and X feed.
Video of Wanjira Wanjiru from 2020.
Published by Brent Patterson on