The death toll from the Saba Saba Day protests on Monday, July 7, has risen to 31, according to a new report by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
KNCHR Vice-Chairperson Dr Raymond Nyeris released a statement on Tuesday, July 8, confirming that by 7pm, the commission had documented more deaths and arrests across the country from the protests.
KNHCR further disclosed that the number of documented injuries now stands at 107, while there are also two cases of abductions from the protests.
While describing the events of Monday as 'deeply troubling', the state-funded commission revealed that there were 532 arrests by Tuesday evening.
In the same report, KNHCR condemned what it described as a violation of human rights, as it called upon all stakeholders, including civilians and police officers, to be held accountable.
The Saba Saba Day protests were meant to commemorate the historic 1990 Saba Saba pro-democracy movement. However, things took a dark turn on the 35th anniversary as the planned demonstrations descended into skirmishes despite law enforcement efforts to block access to the Nairobi Central Business District on the fateful Monday.
Incidences of running battles between police officers and protesters were reported in different areas in the country, with areas like Kiserian, Ngong and Kitengela being classified as the most volatile on Monday.
Notably, the KNHCR's report was a stark contrast to what the National Police Service (NPS) reported shortly after calm was restored in various parts of the country on Monday.
The NPS reported a death toll of 11, with the number of injuries from the protests as 63. The report added that 52 of those injured, according to the service, were police officers.
NPS also stated on Monday that 12 police vehicles, three government vehicles, and four civilian vehicles had been damaged during the period of unrest. KNHCR, in their report on Tuesday evening, did not specify the value of the property which was damaged.
The latest wave of protests have since attracted the attention of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who has urged authorities to address the root cause of the disconnect between the government and civilians.
Meanwhile, the KNHCR has called upon anyone with information and human rights concerns about the Monday protests to reach out to the commission.
