Former Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru has condemned the killing of innocent Kenyans by police during the recent nationwide protests sparked by the sharp rise in fuel prices.

Speaking during a presser on Thursday, May 21, 2026, Waweru criticised the use of excessive force by security officers, saying law enforcement agencies should protect citizens instead of using deadly force against them.

Waweru maintained that Kenyans have a constitutional right to demonstrate and express their grievances peacefully.

“We cannot accept this to continue in Dagoretti South. We have lost lives. It’s not the first time, previously, we had seen during the Gen Z’s demonstration, we saw a lady called Mini being shot three bullets, using live bullets, three bullets to a lady. Again, the day before yesterday, it happened, they shot this very innocent young man, going about his normal duties. That is very unfortunate,” Waweru stated.

Fault on police

The former lawmaker faulted the police for using excessive force against protesters, stating that security officers should have engaged demonstrators and listened to their concerns rather than resorting to violence.

“You do not need to kill to be able to resolve such issues. You can engage, you can address the issues that they are bringing forward. You do not need to use live bullets and kill such young, innocent boys and girls. It’s unacceptable, we are not going to accept,” Waweru said.

Fuel protest deaths

Waweru’s statement came after the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen announced that four people had died during the nationwide strike to protest against recent increases in the cost of fuel.

In a State of the Nation address on Monday, May 18, 2026, Murkomen further announced that more than thirty people have been injured in the protest that left thousands of Kenyan commuters stranded and businesses paralysed.

At the same time, Murkomen accused a group of politicians of playing a role in organising the protest, which led to some businesses in Nairobi remaining closed and schools asking students to stay at home.

“It is unfortunate that we lost 4 Kenyans in today’s violence, which also saw more than 30 people injured. It is very regrettable that there are politicians in this country who measure the success of opposition to the government by the number of innocent lives lost in the demonstrations they organized,” Murkomen said.