UN High Commissioner’s Office for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday expressed serious concerns about the deaths of at least ten people in Kenya during Monday’s anti -government protests. Local police have started shooting at the demonstrators, TASR writes according to AFP report.
“We are deeply concerned yesterday killing at least ten people, as well as looting and destroying property in Kenya,” Ravina Shamdasaniová, a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. According to her, the police used “sharp ammunition, rubber projectiles, tear gas and water cannons” against the protesters.
The protesters in the metropolis of Nairobi wanted to commemorate the events of July 7, 1990 when Kenyans protested against one party’s government and asked the end of the authoritarian way of governance.
According to the police, at least eleven people died on Monday during the protests, 52 police were injured and 567 people arrested the authorities. The Kenyan National Human Rights Commission (KNCHR) reported at least ten deaths, 29 injuries, 37 arrests and two kidnapping.
“We also received reports on looting and damaging public and private property by unknown individuals in different places,” Shamdasaniová continued. She added that the new wave of violence came “barely two weeks after the protests were killed on 25 June. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk according to her “Calls for peace, restraint and respect for the right to speech, association and peaceful gathering”.
OHCHR spokeswoman claims that the Kenyan police have started investigating incidents. “Under international law, the deliberate deadly force by criminal law enforcement authorities should only be used if it is absolutely necessary to protect life from immediate threat,” Reminded Shamdasani. “The responsibility must be against all responsible,” she added.
