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Opposition leader Raila Odinga has demanded compensation for people who lost their lives during the anti-Finance Bill 2024.

In a statement on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, the Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition leader insisted that the Kenya Kwanza government must pay for the brutality meted out on protesters during the demonstrations.

“All victims of police brutality must be compensated,” Raila’s statement read in part.

Demands for police, KDF

At the same time, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader challenged the state to immediately remove the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers from the streets.

Raila argued that KDF should only be deployed to help police when there is a state of emergency. He reprimanded the Kenya Kwanza administration for creating a state of emergency when the youthful protesters were only raising pertinent issues that required urgent intervention.

The opposition leader further added that the heavy deployment of police in various parts of the country should be stopped and allow the citizens to engage in meaningful dialogue with the leaders.

“Unless we are in a state of emergency, the police and army should immediately be taken off the streets,” Raila insisted.

According to data from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), a rights watchdog, at least 39 people were killed.

“Data from our records indicates that 39 people have died and 361 [have been] injured in relation to the protests countrywide,” the state-funded body said in a statement, adding that the figures covered the period from June 18, 2024, to July 1, 2024.

It also said there had been 32 cases of enforced or involuntary disappearances and 627 arrests of protesters.

So far several victims have been buried with their families demanding justice. The first casualty of the protests was Rex Kanyike Masai.

In a roundtable interview, President William Ruto vowed to serve justice but insisted that he had no blood on his hands.

Cost of living

Moreover, Raila castigated the Kenya Kwanza side for shelving the issue of the cost of living in the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report.

However, he argued that the recent protests resulted from the neglected issue which most Azimio leaders demanded in the dialogue committee.

Raila challenged the Kenya Kwanza side led by President William Ruto to devise ways to address the issue of the country’s cost of living.

“As Azimio we wanted the matter of the cost of living to be discussed as part of NADCO. Kenya Kwanza insisted “that it was strictly a government affair,” Raila stated.

“However, as is evident even today, the cost of living is the most important issue.”

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