Amnesty International, alongside several human rights organizations, has released a comprehensive report on the June 25th, 2024, Gen Z "Occupy Parliament" protest in Nairobi, which faced a brutal police crackdown.
The report reveals that six protesters were killed, and 72 others were either abducted or remain missing, sparking national and international outrage.
Based on interviews with 23 eyewitnesses and an analysis of 45 videos and over 100 photographs, Amnesty’s investigation highlights a chaotic, uncoordinated police response, with officers using firearms indiscriminately.
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Ill-prepared to manage the large crowd, law enforcement resorted to excessive force. Weapons identified in the protest included G3, AK-47, and CZ Scorpion EVO 3 submachine guns, showing the severe militarization of the response.
The June 25 protest saw thousands of young Kenyans demanding political and economic reforms, yet it turned violent as police, overwhelmed by the massive turnout, struggled to maintain control.
The report highlights systemic police brutality throughout 2024, with a total of 61 fatalities and 67 cases of enforced disappearances recorded.
Amnesty International, alongside the International Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), conducted 49 autopsies and concluded that many deaths were the result of excessive force.
Amnesty and five other organizations urge the government to establish a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate these human rights violations.
The petition launched to demand justice and accountability, has already garnered over 12,000 signatures. Amnesty is also pushing for the immediate release of those unlawfully detained and is engaging with both the judiciary and law enforcement to ensure such violations do not continue.
The organization emphasized that peaceful protests are a constitutional right and should not be met with violence.
