Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has defended the police’s use of lethal force during the June 25 invasion of Parliament initiated by the anti-government protesters.
Kindiki argued that the action was necessary to prevent a potential coup and maintain the stability of the country.
He emphasized that the situation was critical, and without such measures, Kenya might have faced a very different scenario today.
“If the police had not used lethal force during the invasion of Parliament, we would not have the Kenya we know today,” he stated.
Kindiki added that the protests in June and July were not just about opposing the finance bill. He claimed that the demonstrators had more violent intentions, including plans to attack key constitutional institutions like Parliament, the Judiciary, and even State House.
He also emphasized that the protestors aimed to cause significant harm and disrupt the government, which led to the police using lethal force to prevent what he described as an attempted coup.
“The people who stormed Parliament were not there to debate the finance bill; they were coming to kill you,” Kindiki warned
He added that the government would pursue legal action against high-level officials who were allegedly involved in organizing and financing the protests.
“We are going to prosecute high-level officials who financed the protests, organized for other people to harm Kenyans, loot property, and even invade a serious institution like the Parliament of the people of Kenya,” Kindiki affirmed.
Kindiki underscored the importance of respecting constitutional offices to safeguard the country’s democracy.
