A section of opposition leaders from the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition is calling for the immediate resignation of Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome following the killing of protesters in the country. The leaders accuse President William Ruto’s administration of using excessive force against demonstrators, leading to fatalities.
The leaders voiced their demands at the funeral of Daniel Kakai, a student shot during the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests in Bungoma. Kakai, a student of St Veronica Siritanyi High School, was buried at his home in Masuno Village, Bumula Constituency.
“Ameanza kuwaongelesha jana… kwanza tunataka IG Koome akome kuwa IG wa Kenya… polisi washikwe waliouwa watoto wetu,” said Eugene Wamalwa, leader of the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K).
Bumula MP Jack Wamboka added, “We started by telling Ruto things are bad hasikii…World Bank told him things are bad hasikii….sasa imebidi hawa watoto wadogo Gen Z wamuambie ukweli kwa maandamano na tuko nyuma yenu.”
Kakai’s death is one of several resulting from gunshot wounds during protests aimed at pressuring the government to drop the taxation proposals contained in the now-expunged Finance Bill, 2024. Fellow Gen Z mourners vowed to continue pushing the government to address their issues.
In nearby Buko Village, Kimilili, Bungoma County, another protest victim, 21-year-old Wilson Sitati, was also laid to rest. Sitati was shot during a protest in Nairobi.
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa commented, “The invasion of Parliament by our young generation is not something to condemn but to draw lessons from.”
Sirisia MP John Waluke added, “Sisi kama viongozi wenu hatufurahii watu wetu wakizikwa…lakini pia sisi tuko hapa kuwaambia ukweli.”
President Ruto, in a national address on Friday, announced that the government would compensate families who have lost loved ones in the anti-government protests.
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