Amid ongoing public outrage, the BBC has identified members of Kenya’s security forces responsible for the fatal shootings of anti-tax protesters outside parliament on June 25, 2024. The BBC’s investigation, which involved analyzing over 5,000 images and videos, revealed that the protesters, who were unarmed and posed no immediate threat, were targeted by security personnel.
The tragic incident occurred during a large-scale protest against the government’s controversial finance bill. Despite the Kenyan constitution guaranteeing the right to peaceful protest, the deaths of the demonstrators sparked widespread condemnation. Over 100,000 people had gathered outside parliament that day, hoping to sway lawmakers before the final vote on the bill.
As the protest intensified, security forces employed tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds. However, the situation escalated when plainclothes police officers, including a man identified as John Kaboi, fired live rounds into the crowd, killing at least two individuals, including David Chege, a software engineer, and Ericsson Mutisya, a butcher. Both victims were found to be unarmed.
The killings did not deter the protesters, who pushed forward and breached parliament’s gates, leading to further clashes with security forces. In the aftermath, 27-year-old student Eric Shieni was shot in the head by a soldier, marking the third fatality of the day. BBC reports identified the soldier responsible, although his name remains unknown.
Despite calls for accountability and an investigation by Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), no security officers have been held accountable for the deaths, and no official report has been released. The Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) stated that no request for an investigation had been forwarded to them.
The incident came at the height of a week of protests, which saw 39 people killed and hundreds more injured across the country. The Kenyan government eventually dropped the finance bill, following mounting public pressure.
BBC reports reveal that the security forces’ actions that day were premeditated, with the intent to kill rather than incapacitate the protesters. As of now, no one has been brought to justice for the deaths, and the protest movement has continued to demand accountability.