CONFLICT EARLY WARNING EARLY RESPONSE (EWER) REPORT COAST REGION SITUATIONAL REPORT NO. 1 ON 26TH JUNE 2024
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
1. Police Kill protesting unarmed youths
2. Hundreds injured with bullet wounds
3. Government key buildings/offices destroyed
4. KDF deployed to deal with protesters
5. President returns bill to parliament
6. Religious leaders demand for withdrawal of the finance bill 2024
7. Youth declare Thursday 27th June, 2024 as a national Mourning Day.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
Most towns in the coast region like the rest of the country, experienced demonstrations that were majorly dominated by the youths who turned out in thousands to pressure the parliament in reject the Finance Bill of 2024/25. They cited insensitivity of the Members of the Parliament and the government in addressing their grievances. Diverse stakeholders including civil society, religious leaders, professionals, business sector and the population made frantic efforts to influence parliament to reject the bill in Vain.
In the Coast of Kenya, Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa, Lamu, and Taita Taveta recorded peaceful demonstrations in the major towns on the street and towns. In the capital Nairobi, protesters overpowered the authorities and broke into the parliament. In Mombasa, 3 people were killed while scores got injured. The Governor of Mombasa had to personally intervene to stop police officers who intentionally continued preying on unarmed youths. Kilifi Governor Hon. Gideon Mung’aro castigated law enforcement agencies for fueling unrest and intentional killings of unarmed youth.
Major towns of Nairobi, Kisumu, Nyeri, Nakuru etc experienced major killings of over 45 protesters by law enforcement agencies which led to destruction of key offices including parliament and targeted destruction of properties belonging to politicians believed to be behind the passing of the rejected finance bill.
KECOSCE’s EWER system shall continue to collect data and provide situational briefs to stakeholders for increased human rights based response to this fluid situation in Kenya with a focus to the Coast region.
REPORTED EVENTS ON DAY 1 25TH JUNE, 2024
| COUNTY | LOCATIONS | EVENTS |
| MOMBASA | Mama Ngina Drive, CBD, Tononoka, Buxton, Nyali Bridge, Links Road, Kongowea. | 3 groups of protesters were observed within Mombasa even as the shallow rains grazed the events.
Protests were peaceful during the early part of the day. The events turned violent at around 2PM when the protesters tried to gain access the Mombasa State Lodge through the state House road. Anti-Riot police fired rubber bullets and lobbied tear gas dispersing protesters and causing a stampede that saw 3 people succumb to gun shots and 8 others injured. Another event of running battle was observed at Nyali CDF offices when protester destroyed sign boards and tried to gain forceful entry into the MP’s office. Transport was paralyzed along major roads with businesses shutting down as protesters took to the streets. Police officers were missing on major roads. However, they had been deployed at the critical infrastructures like the State house. |
| TAITA TAVETA | Voi, Caltex junction in Voi. | The youth camped outside a wholesale joint owned by a legislator who voted to support the controversial Bill.
The protester blocked the busy Mombasa-Nairobi highway Caltex junction in Voi. No casualty was reported. |
| KWALE | Tiwi, Vindeni Diani in Msambweni | Peaceful protesters started their demonstration from Tiwi to Mvindeni and later went to Diani Beach town.
Business operators temporarily closed down to join the heated protests, while other locals queued along the road to witness the unfolding events and show solidarity. Different people joined the protests, including some local tourists, motorists, and passengers who alighted from their cars chanting ‘reject Finance Bill.’ |
| KILIFI | Kilifi Town, Malindi town. | Protests were witnessed in Kilifi and Malindi where hundreds of residents participated.
In Malindi, police spurted tear gas to disperse protesters in Malindi Town. No casualties were reported. |
ACTIONS/RESPONSE
- The state deployed police officers in town centers to combat violence and tendencies of violence during the protests. The armed police conducted patrols and in some instances escorting the protesters to ensure safety of life and property.
- The Kenya Red Cross and health volunteers on standby responded to emergency situations providing medical services to the injured protesters.
- Security was intensified in areas where violence was reported to maintain law and order.
- Human rights activists have called upon the Independent oversight authority (IPOA) to take to book individual officers who unleashed unnecessary lethal force against the peaceful protesters that led to the death of 3 youth and injure of 8 others
- The president gave a press statement terming the protests as treasonous causing more anger to the population. For the first time, the president appeared alone without his deputy president and supporters and issued stern warning to protesters
- Immediately after the president’s warning to Kenyans, the state deployed Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) to purportedly assist police in quelling the violence.
Day 2 Wednesday 26th June, 2024.
- INCREASED PUBLIC ANGER: Public anger was directed to the state through diverse online platforms and national televisions with the catholic bishops condemning the state actions especially through total disregard to international statutes of preserving worship cente The police attached citizens at the All Saints Cathedral Nairobi including attacks on medics giving medical aid to injured people.
- Online mobilization: Diverse online platforms ran sessions condemning the president and the government for its actions and mobilizing more youth and non-youth citizens to join the planned demonstrations on Thursday 27th dubbed Occupy Statehouse.
- The Law Society of Kenya took the cabinet secretary for Defense to court seeking orders to nullify the decision by the state to deploy KDF to deal with protesters within the County. The court provided temporary orders as sought pending hearing on 27.6.2024
- PRESSURE ON PRESIDENT: The president at 4:30 p.m. issued a press statement to announce his rejection of the finance bil Franked by members of parliament from his ruling party, the president seemed more conciliatory in his tone and for the first time, he condoled with families who lost their loved ones and pledged to engage with the youth of the country. No apologies were issued from the cabinet secretary for interior on the role of law enforcements in the killings.
- The Deputy President at 5:30p.m. issued another statement blaming the country’s National Intelligence service for provision of wrong information to the president leading to wrong decisions that saw unknown number of Kenyans killed and hundreds injured. He asked the president to allow the government to take over medical bills and burial