On August 19, PBI-Kenya tweeted: “The Social Justice Centres Working Group alerts about ongoing demonstrations in Kayole.”

The Social Justice Centres Working Group (@UhaiWetu – Our Lives) had tweeted: “Demonstration in Kayole after police kill a bodaboda man during curfew and left the body at the scene. Citizens are tired of Police illegal killings.”

The Star reports: “Protests and chaos rocked Kayole in Nairobi on Thursday after police officers on patrol allegedly killed a 38-year-old man while enforcing the curfew. John Kiiru was allegedly beaten to death for violating the curfew.”

That article adds: “Locals said Kiiru, a boda boda rider was on Wednesday night headed home, when police officers cornered and attacked him. The rider of the motorbike that he was aboard, however, managed to escape, locals said.”

The Standard further reports: “The deceased’s spouse, Esther Wanjiru, told The Standard that Kiiru called her at 12:30am on Thursday and informed her that cops had seriously assaulted him. The victim, who was allegedly abandoned by the police officers, succumbed to his injuries at the scene. On Thursday morning, his body was still lying at the assault site as protesters demanded action be taken against the 38-year-old man’s killers.”

And the Nairobi News also notes: “There have been increased cases of police killings during the enforcement of Covid-19 rules.”

On August 5, Al Jazeera reported: “Activists have reported 25 cases of extrajudicial killings linked to COVID control measures, according to this statement” signed by nineteen organizations including Peace Brigades International.

That statement was issued after the deaths in custody of two brothers – Benson Njiru Ndwiga, 22, and Emmanuel Mutura Ndwiga, 19 – who were detained by the police on August 1 on suspicion of breaking the curfew.

The New York Times reports: “Relatives found their bodies at a local morgue three days later. An autopsy found that the brothers had died of head and rib injuries. Officers said the two men had fallen from a moving police vehicle, but the family and the public have doubted that the injuries were consistent with the police account.”

That article further highlights: “At least 834 people have been killed by the police or were reported missing since 2007 — 166 of them last year — according to Missing Voices, a group of organizations that document police killings.”

The Peace Brigades International-Kenya Project supports the work of both Missing Voices and the Police Reforms Working Group.

Please, consider donating to PBI-USA. You can make a safe donation here.

Make a Difference, help protect human rights defenders!

Support our 40th Year Anniversary Campaign by making a donation

2021 is Peace Brigades International’s 40th Year Anniversary! 

Whether human rights defenders fight for social equality, justice, or environmental and indigenous rights, we must protect their vision of the future. For 40 years, PBI has provided protection so defenders can continue their work. With your support, we can ensure that PBI-USA can continue to make space for peace.

Together, we will provide life-saving support to more threatened defenders in urgent need of protection.

Please consider donating to our campaign.