Kindiki defends officers involved in protests that left hundreds injured
By Arnold Ngure, August 1, 2024Cabinet nominee for the Interior Ministry Kithure Kindiki has defended the police officers and their actions during the protests that saw several people killed with hundreds more injured.
In a Parliamentary Committee vetting on Thursday, August 1, 2024, at County Hall, Kindiki said the police officers managed to protect the country from criminal mobs.
“The police tried to do their best to protect the country against mobs of criminal arsonists and other dangerous people including those who visited parliament and wanted to kill parliamentarians and other people,” Kindiki said.
During the grilling, Kindiki noted that the officers were advised to exercise restraint when managing the protests that left 42 people dead.
Hon. Robert Mbui to Kindiki: During your tenure as CS, over 100 Kenyans have been murdered by the police and many abducted. As we speak families are still looking for their loved ones. Don't you think you should have also taken responsibility and either resign or decline the… pic.twitter.com/tsyGT2VH0x
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) August 1, 2024
Kindiki also revealed that some 486 civilians were injured during the protests.
Similarly, he said that 385 police officers were injured countrywide and 54 police cars were burnt during the protests. He added that 1,387 arrests were made during the protests.
“I generally commend those officers who tried their best in very difficult circumstances to help the country come to terms with what happened,” Kindiki noted.
The protests began as a move to call for the rejection of the controversial Finance Bill 2024 but morphed into anti-government demonstrations which ran for weeks.
President William Ruto ceded to the demands of the protesting youth by withdrawing the Finance Bill 2024 and proceeded to dismiss nearly all of his cabinet on July 11, 2024.