At least 10 people have died and dozens more have been injured and arrested across Kenya as protests marking the historic Saba Saba Day turned chaotic on Monday.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) in a press statement on Monday evening detailed a grim picture of the day's events, which saw widespread disruptions, alleged police misconduct, and the presence of criminal elements.
The KNCHR reported that as of 18:30 pm, 10 fatalities had been documented, alongside 29 injuries and 37 arrests across 17 counties.
Reports indicate that three people died in Ngong, one in Kitengela, one in Nyandarua, one in Mbeere and a 14-year-old succumbing to bullet wounds in Nairobi.
Additionally, two cases of abduction were reported.
Major roads and entry points, particularly in Nairobi, were severely affected by significant police barricades, disrupting movement.
Similar blockades were reported in Kiambu, Meru, Kisii, Nyeri, Nakuru, and Embu.
These disruptions prevented many citizens from reporting to work, despite a directive from Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, requiring all government employees to do so.
Businesses nationwide remained closed due to fears of looting and destruction, with looting incidents reported in six counties.
The Kerugoya Central CDF office was reportedly set ablaze by suspected criminal elements.
Learning was also paralysed as most schools and educational institutions remained closed across the country.
The KNCHR also received distress calls from patients unable to access health facilities due to road closures, and hundreds of passengers were stranded as public transport, including air and rail, was severely disrupted.
A significant concern raised by the KNCHR is the alleged disregard by police of a High Court order mandating that all officers managing demonstrations be in official uniform and remain identifiable.
The Commission observed numerous hooded officers, not in uniform, patrolling in unmarked vehicles in Nairobi, Kajiado, and Nakuru counties.
The presence of criminal gangs wielding crude weapons such as whips, wooden clubs, machetes, spears, bows, and arrows was noted in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, and Eldoret. Disturbingly, in Nairobi and Eldoret, these hooded gangs were seen operating alongside police officers.
The KNCHR also condemned an attack on Sunday on the offices of the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) by what they described as hired thugs.
The attack reportedly brutalized staff and members of the public exercising their constitutional rights.
Journalists covering the event at KHRC were also harassed and robbed.
The Commission has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the masterminds and perpetrators of this attack, stating they were captured on CCTV footage.
The Commission expressed deep concern over a recent surge in harassment and persecution of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) accused of organising the ongoing protests.
In the past week alone, over twenty HRDs have been beaten, arrested, charged, or summoned by police to record statements.
The KNCHR has urged the government to immediately cease the harassment of Civil Society Organizations and HRDs and to stop the criminalisation of legitimate human rights work.
The KNCHR Vice Chairperson Raymond Nyeris, affirmed the Commission's commitment to its constitutional mandate to protect the rights of all persons in Kenya.
The KNCHR urged the public to report any human rights violations through SMS, email, WhatsApp, and toll-free lines.
