Hello and welcome to the Evening Brief Newsletter we are emerging from the pandemonium and tracking local fundraisers and global dispatches.
Situational Awareness: President William Ruto is gearing up to hold another press briefing at 4:00pm today.
Shoulder to Shoulder
After a day of pandemonium, Kenyans have embarked on a fundraising drive to cater to the needs of the hundreds of protesters who sustained injuries in yesterday's protests.
Activists, among them Hanifa Farsafi, opened a M-changa account and invited Kenyans to start contributing.
Money Raised: Launched on Wednesday morning, the drive raised Ksh7.5 million by 3:30 pm, Ksh3 million shy of the Ksh10 million target over a period of 27 days.
Organisers explained that the findings would be sent to the families of some of the deceased and cater to the medical bills of those hospitalised.
"Public support from businesses, medics, lawyers, and ordinary Kenyans has been phenomenal. We still need your support to assist with the medical expenses of those seriously injured or hospitalized," read the appeal in part.
What Hanifa is Saying: "Hello guys, your attention for a bit. I need everyone’s help with the M-changa. We need lists of those in hospitals, we pay their bills directly to the hospital. We need three treasurers from here for accountability purposes. Please note that all the money is sent directly to where it’s required and not anyone’s Mpesa. Please let’s coordinate with this."
Catch Up Quick: Reports indicate that 53 deaths were recorded from Tuesday’s Anti-Finance Bill protests. 30 were from Githurai 45 night killings and 23 were from the daytime demonstrations.
Several protesters were shot dead outside Parliament while several others sustained injuries. CNN Correspondent Larry Madowo revealed that police officers fired teargas directly at him and his crew, in some instances while live on TV.
Doctors at the Kenyatta National Hospital revealed that they received over 150 casualties, 15 of which were taken in at night from Githurai 45 attacks.
What Doctor is Saying: "I think we got 15 more patients who came in at night. For this type of injury, yesterday was significant but we have had other influx of patients, especially from fire-related disasters."
Futurely: Protesters have still vowed to turn out tomorrow, Thursday, as planned to honour the lives of their deceased colleagues.
Global Stance on Kenyan Protests
As peaceful protests turned chaotic yesterday, especially with the attack and torching of Parliament Buildings, the world was watching and voiced its concerns, most of which were critical to the state.
The Secretary-General to the United Nations Antonio Guterres faulted President William Ruto's administration for using excessive force against peaceful protestors.
He accused the government of failing to protect its citizens while exercising their democratic rights.
"I am deeply saddened by the reports of deaths and injuries including of journalists and medical personnel connected to protests and street demonstrations in Kenya. I urge the Kenyan authorities to exercise restraint and call for all demonstrations to occur peacefully," Guterres stated.
The US government, on the other hand, called on President William Ruto's government to exercise restraint during the ongoing anti-Finance Bill protests.
Mathew Miller, the State Department spokesman, noted that the US was calling on the government to create room for dialogue.
"We condemn the violence reported during protests in Nairobi and around Kenya. We mourn the loss of life and injury sustained and offer our condolences to the families who lost loved ones. We urge restraint to restore order and provide space for dialogue," he stated.
Earlier, a consortium of 13 embassies in Kenya penned a statement strongly criticizing the government's handling of the protests. The countries involved included Britain, the USA, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Romania, and Belgium
“As friends and partners to Kenya, we note that Kenya's constitution guarantees the right to peaceful protest. All actors have the responsibility to respect, uphold, promote and fulfill the principles of democracy and the rule of law, particularly by ensuring a proportionate security response,” the statement read.
“We are deeply concerned by the violence witnessed in many parts of the country during the recent protests and are especially shocked by the scenes witnessed outside the Kenyan Parliament. We welcome the statement released by the Hon Chief Justice Martha Koome and are deeply concerned by allegations of abductions of protesters," they stated. Koome had criticised the police for increased abductions.
Catch Up Quick: The protests, which started peacefully, turned chaotic from mid-day with the invasion and destruction of Parliament, City Hall, and a slew of businesses in central business districts across the country.
Ruto's inner circle leaders among them Kimani Kuria, Kimani Ichung'wah, and Oscar Sudi were among the politicians whose homes and offices were destroyed.
Ruto's Stern Warning: At 9:00 pm yesterday, the Head of State declared the attacks as acts of treason and directed security forces to ensure the safety of all Kenyans, and vowed to investigate the events that led to protesters breaking into Parliament buildings
"I have directed all organs of our national security to deploy measures to thwart any attempts by dangerous criminals to undermine the security and stability of our country. As the people of Kenya go to bed tonight, I give you my assurance that the safety of your families and properties remains my utmost priority,” he stated.
"We must isolate crime from democratic expression... I shall continue to lead a government that is fully committed to maintaining the integrity of our state, promoting the unity of our nation, and enhancing the peace and security of all citizens and their livelihoods."
Dicey Situation: The Head of State now risks tainting his carefully curated image appealing to foreign countries and scored an admission as a major non-NATO ally for the United States.
The debate on the approval of the controversial Financial Bill 2024 is now in court.
Here are five other stories we are keeping tabs on today;
- A team of lawyers file a petition seeking to bar the National Assembly from carrying out any further action on the Finance Bill 2024 and prevent Ruto from assenting to it.
- The National Assembly ratifies the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers to help police officers retain normalcy in the country.
- Azimio la Umoja demands the immediate release of all Kenyans who were arrested in connection to the Finance Bill 2024 demonstrations.
- President William Ruto cancels events he was scheduled to attend as State House is thrown into a crisis
- EXPLAINED: Why CS Aden Duale's decision to deploy the military to Kenyan streets pricked legal minds.
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This newsletter was written by Derrick Kubasu and edited by Brian Muuo.
Washington Mito contributed to the content.
Graphics prepared by Adongo Kyalo.
