Kenya’s Interior Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, has defended the police over their handling of protests that left at least 10 people dead and hundreds injured, describing the demonstrations as “terrorism disguised as dissent” and an “unconstitutional attempt” to change the government.
Murkomen thanked security agencies for their “remarkable restraint amid extreme provocation”, crediting them with helping to “foil an attempted coup”.
The protests, which marked the first anniversary of a previous wave of deadly anti-government demonstrations, saw thousands take to the streets across the country to voice anger with President William Ruto’s government and demand an end to police brutality.
The government banned live TV and radio coverage of the protests, but the ban was later lifted after the Nairobi High Court ruled against it.
Human rights groups have condemned the actions of the police, with the Law Society of Kenya saying there had been “unnecessary aggression and brute force” by security officers, leading to “senseless loss of life”.
The minister said investigations were underway into the exact number of casualties and the circumstances surrounding the violence, with nine police stations attacked and dozens of vehicles destroyed.
