Nyong’o blasts use of live bullets against crowds

Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o yesterday warned the police against using excessive force on protesters.

Nyong’o claimed anti-riot officers were used live bullets against hundreds of Kisumu residents who poured onto the streets on Tuesday to protest against the 2024 Finance Bill (which President William Ruto announced yesterday had been withdrawn).

One person was feared dead, with preliminary reports showing that he was shot multiple times while escaping to safety.

Said Nyong’o: “We have received disturbing reports about police using excessive force including live bullets against peaceful demonstrators.”

This, he said, was witnessed during protests in Nairobi, Kisumu and other urban centres across the country.

“The actions undermine human rights best practices and the right to picket as enshrined in the Constitution,” the governor said

He added: “I would like to inform the police that these demonstrations against the punitive Finance Bill 2024/2025 had been licensed by none other than the CS for Interior, Prof Kithure Kindiki, who is in charge of internal security organs in this country.”

Kindiki had told the demonstrators to be peaceful and to end the demonstrations at 6.30pm.

“I believe these youths have not breached these directives. Why then are the police using live bullets and other dangerous weapons in subduing these youths who are exercising their constitutional rights?” Nyong’o posed.

The enraged governor appealed to the police to use professional ways of handling the demonstrators instead of harming them.

“I equally appeal to our Gen Zs to conduct peaceful demonstrations and avoid playing into the hands of the security forces,’’ he said.