Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has defended the government’s stance on the number of fatalities resulting from recent anti-government protests, insisting there is no attempt to conceal any figures.
Addressing the press on Tuesday, Murkomen stated that the government’s reported number of 42 deaths — 17 from the June 25th demonstrations and 25 from the July 7th Saba Saba protests, is based on verified records from the National Police Service (NPS), following a physical analysis of incidents linked to the unrest.
“We are not in the business of hiding numbers. Our findings are drawn from the official police records, and if the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), a national institution, has a different number ,61 . We do not dispute that. What we are saying is, let’s harmonise the data.” said Murkomen
Human rights groups and independent monitors have sharply disagreed with the official figures, arguing that the real death toll is higher and urging the government to undertake a transparent and independent investigation.
Murkomen acknowledged discrepancies may exist due to differences in data collection methods. He noted that some deaths may have been reported in connection with the protests but could have resulted from unrelated causes.
The NPS placed the June 25th deaths at 17 and Saba Saba at 25.“ Also, bear in mind that there could have been some whose reported deaths are higher or less but resulted not necessarily from the protests yet listed.”
The CS stressed that the government takes the right to life seriously, and therefore any life lost is regrettable.
“Like the case of the little girl who died , it’s very painful that she lost her life. Nobody has the intention to hide numbers. We are ready to tally the numbers for accountability.”
“There is no gain in hiding the numbers, but we want proper investigations done.”
Murkomen assured the public that the government remains open to collaboration with oversight bodies to ensure accurate reporting and justice for affected families.
