Youth and rights groups announce new anti-government protests: ‘The streets are calling’

• A section of Kenyan youth and human rights groups announced new anti-government demonstrations on Monday, December 30
• Activists demand answers for alleged government wrongdoing and recent spate of kidnappings of critics of President William Ruto
• Law enforcement agencies have been accused of carrying out illegal detentions, with KNHCR reporting 82 cases of kidnapping since June.

Nairobi – A new wave of anti-government protests looms on Monday, December 30, as Kenyan youth and human rights groups prepare to take to the streets.

The demonstrations were announced during a press conference in Nairobi on Friday 27 December.

Why are youth, human rights groups calling for demonstrations?

Youth and human rights organizations leading the protests cite serious concerns about alleged government injustices and a lack of accountability.

At the heart of their requests are answers regarding a fresh wave of kidnappings which primarily targeted critics of President William Ruto’s government.

Activists have accused President Ruto’s administration of turning a blind eye to rampant kidnappings and growing injustices.

“No one in the government seems to care about the ongoing kidnappings,” said one activist. “We join all Kenyan patriots in calling for a nationwide protest on Monday to demand justice and accountability. The streets are really calling,” said one of the activists.

“We are organizing protests in all 47 counties and we can also include the 48th county, which is the diaspora,” said another.

In December alone, they claim over 11 people were kidnapped, their whereabouts still unknown.

Among missing is cartoonist Gideon Kibetknown for being satirical silhouette drawings portraying the president Ruto.

Kibet’s brother Ronny Kiplagat, businessman Billy Mwangi, Steve Kavingo and Peter Muteti were also allegedly kidnapped.

Mwangi and Muteti were reportedly caught after they shared AI-generated footage of President Ruto lying in state.

“We decided to go back to the streets because we realized that the language you (the government) understand is the language of the streets,” said one protester.

Concerns growing over police inaction over kidnappings

Law enforcement agencies have been accused of making illegal detentions since youth-led demonstrations in June and July. Activists say police have failed to investigate the disappearances, hence the widespread outrage.

Former Vice President Rigathi Gachaguanow a vocal critic of President Ruto, claimed on Friday that behind the disappearances was a secret unit.

Kenya National Human Rights Commission reported that 82 cases of kidnapping have been recorded since June, with 29 people still missing. Seven of these cases were reported in the last two weeks alone.

Earlier this year, anti-government protests erupted in response to proposed tax increases in Finance Bill 2024marking the most significant crisis since President Ruto took office in 2022.

Since then, public discontent has continued to grow, driven by the rising cost of living, unfulfilled promises by the Ruto administration and persistent allegations of excessive force by security agents.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, Multimedia Journalist and Copy Editor at TUKO.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke