Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi has warned against police brutality during today’s Nane Nane protests.

Mwangangi says that other governments across the globe, such as Nigeria and Israel have dealt with the youthful protesters in a more humane manner unlike in Kenya where police brutality has taken centre stage.

Mwangangi says the protests led by the Generation Z are a wake up call to African governments, Kenya included and that crushing them with an iron fist would only exacerbate the people’s waning confidence and trust in government.

“Governments need to move with speed and address the grievances of the people,” he said, adding that a failure to do so will see the masses “rise up.”

He says that many governments in Africa are facing growing discontent, with planned protests by youthful demonstrators calling attention to long-standing issues including high unemployment, corruption and economic stagnation.

Domino effect

Though not connected, Mwangangi says that the protests could be related through what he calls “domino effect”, which is a situation where a cumulative effect is produced when one event sets off a series of similar or related events, a form of chain reaction.

In Kenya, the mostly Gen-Z and millennial protesters forced the government to drop proposed tax hikes contained in the unpopular Finance Bill 2024.

The youthful protesters have since escalated their demands into calls for the resignation of President William Ruto.

Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR says at least 60 people have been killed and more than 200 protestors left with injuries, mostly gunshot wounds over the course of the protests.

Mwangangi now wants the government to take action against police officers encountering brutality against the protestors, though he also censured demonstrators taking advantage of the situation to loot and cause violence.

“There are some criminal elements that are taking advantage of the situation to infiltrate the demonstrators with the aim of causing mayhem. These are the people who have been looting and causing violence during the protests,” says Mwangangi.

He says the police have a duty to deal with the individuals out to cause violence and looting, some of whom he says are being sponsored by some well connected individuals in the government system.