The United States and European embassies in Kenya have raised concerns over the use of ‘hired goons’ to disrupt peaceful protests in the country ahead of the first anniversary of the June 25, 2024, Gen Z protests.
In a joint statement issued by ambassadors and high commissioners, the envoys said they were troubled by reports of hired individuals being used to infiltrate or disrupt planned demonstrations.
“We are troubled by the use of hired ‘goons’ to infiltrate or disrupt peaceful gatherings. Protecting the rights to protest is vital to preserving civic space and a cornerstone of Kenya’s vibrant democracy,” the statement signed by 12 embassies read.
The envoys also called for swift, transparent, and independent investigations into all incidents of violence against peaceful protesters, while urging Kenyan police to refrain from deploying officers in plain clothes, in line with a High Court ruling.
“The use of plainclothes officers in unmarked vehicles erodes public trust and was ruled unlawful by the high court. We urge full compliance with this ruling,” they noted.
Adding, “Transparency and accountability are critical, not only for justice, but for restoring confidence in the institutions meant to serve and protect their citizens.”
In August last year, the High Court ordered that police officers deployed during demonstrations must be in uniform and must not conceal their identities.
The ruling stemmed from a petition filed by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) following the fatal shooting of Rex Masai. LSK asked the court to bar the Inspector General of Police from using plainclothes officers during public demonstrations.
Justice Bahati Mwamuye, in his ruling, stressed the public’s right to identify law enforcement officers during protests.
“A declaration is hereby issued that any law enforcement officer deployed to maintain law and order during an assembly, demonstration, or picketing must be in uniform and shall not, in any way, conceal their identity, including by obscuring their face, so as to remain unidentifiable,” he ordered.
