NAIROBI, Kenya – During the anti-Finance Bill demonstrations outside the Kenyan Parliament on June 25th, at least three protesters were shot and killed by Kenyan security forces.
The violence, captured by CNN, has escalated tensions and raised serious concerns about the government’s handling of the protests.
CNN reporter Larry Madowo witnessed the tragic events firsthand.
“I watched as Kenyan security forces shot dead at least three protesters outside the Kenyan Parliament,” he reported.
Among the victims was 25-year-old Ericsson Kyalo Mutisya, who was seen dancing in white overalls moments before the shots rang out.
Kyalo, who worked in a butcher shop, had joined the protests to voice his opposition to the Finance Bill. According to an autopsy report, he was shot from behind and bled to death.
Another victim, 26-year-old Ian Keya, a jobless graduate and bodybuilder, was also among the casualties.
Keya, who has been unemployed for five years, was shot in the legs, leaving him incapacitated. Despite his injuries, Keya expressed his determination to fight for change in Kenya.
“Our main mission is to change Kenya… I am not regretting anything because it is my right,” he told CNN.
Two autopsy reports obtained by CNN confirmed that the protesters, who died outside parliament, succumbed to gunshot wounds—one to the head and the other to the back.
The use of live ammunition by security forces has sparked public outrage and sorrow, with images of the injured and dead circulating widely.
President William Ruto addressed the nation in a TV interview on Sunday night, defending the actions of the police.
He maintained that the officers were dealing with difficult circumstances and that criminals had infiltrated the legitimate protesters.
The Ministry of Interior has yet to respond to the incidents, leaving many questions unanswered about the excessive use of force.
The deaths of Kyalo Mutisya and others, along with the injuries sustained by protesters like Keya, have sparked a wave of condemnation from human rights groups and opposition leaders who accuse the government of heavy-handedness and failing to protect the rights of its citizens.
