Cabinet nominee for the Interior Ministry Kithure Kindiki has defended police officers and their actions during the protests that saw several people killed with hundreds more injured.
In a Parliamentary Committee vetting on Thursday, August 1, 2024, at County Hall, Kindiki said the police officers managed to protect the country from criminal mobs.
“The police tried to do their best to protect the country against mobs of criminal arsonists and other dangerous people including those who visited parliament and wanted to kill parliamentarians and other people,” Kindiki said.
During the grilling, Kindiki noted that while the officers were advised to exercise restraint in managing the protests, some 42 people were killed.
Kindiki also revealed that some 486 civilians were injured during the protests.
Similarly, he said that 385 police officers were injured countrywide and 54 police cars were burnt during the course of the protests.
Hon. Robert Mbui to Kindiki: During your tenure as CS, over 100 Kenyans have been murdered by the police and many abducted. As we speak families are still looking for their loved ones. Don’t you think you should have also taken responsibility and either resign or decline the… pic.twitter.com/tsyGT2VH0x
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) August 1, 2024
Also, Kindiki noted that 1,387 arrests were made during the protests.
“I generally commend those officers who tried their best in very difficult circumstances to help the country come to terms with what happened,” Kindiki noted.
During the 20-member parliamentary committee on appointment session, the former cabinet secretary noted that during his 21 months in government, the country remained fairly safe.
He stated that the country witnessed a sharp drop in terror instances and that banditry had reduced by more than 70 per cent despite a few pockets still experiencing isolated attacks.
” I have been able to keep the country fairly safe, especially on terror,” Kindiki noted.
The protests began as a move to call for the rejection of the controversial Finance Bill 2024 but morphed into anti-government demonstrations which ran for weeks.
President William Ruto ceded to the demands of the protesting youth by withdrawing the Finance Bill 2024 and proceeded to dismiss nearly all of his cabinet on July 11, 2024.
He, however, nominated 10 former Cabinet secretaries back into his government alongside other leaders of the opposition.
Kindiki is among the cabinet secretaries set to be vetted by the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments.
Other CS nominees who will be vetted on the first day include the Health Cabinet Secretary nominee Debra Mlongo Barasa, Alice Wahome (Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development), Julius Migos Ogamba (Education) and Rosalinda Soipan Tuya (Defence).
