Kenyan Police Chief Resigns Following Criticism Of The Tragedy In Parliament

DOCUMENTATION/Protes of the new Finance Bill in Kenya. (Twitter/@AmnestyKenya)

JAKARTA - Kenyan police chief Japett Koome resigned following strong criticism of the officers' behavior during last month's anti-government protests that killed 39 people.

Reported by Reuters, Presidential Office William Ruto announced the resignation of Koome on Friday, July 12, a day after sacking nearly the entire cabinet for submission to the demands of the protesters. Douglas Kanja was appointed acting police chief.

Demonstrations against the proposed tax increase began peacefully but turned violent. Police fired tear gas, water cannons, and live ammunition, and several protesters stormed the parliament building.

Ruto canceled tax increases but protests continued, with some activists demanding the president's resignation and broad political changes to eradicate corruption and poor governance.

They also accused police of using excessive force and kidnapping dozens of people as they tried to stop the protests.

Ruto, who has been in office since September 2022, said at an event held on social media platform X last week that the kidnapping report was deeply regrettable and every officer proven responsible would be held accountable.

Denzel Omondi's body, a protester who was missing during the demonstration, was found last week in a mine outside the capital Nairobi, Amnesty International said. They are calling for an independent investigation into his death.

On Friday, eight other bodies were found in a mine in Mukuru, a slum area in Nairobi, witnesses Reuters and human rights groups said.

"Most of them are rotten, but there is one that is still fresh. We don't know if this could be linked to protests or murder because most of them are women," saidtta Nyamuita, an activist at the Mukuru Community Justice Center.

He and other human rights activists are calling for an immediate investigation.