Kenya's Police Boss Steps Down Amidst Backlash Over Protest Handling

Kenya's police chief resigned on Friday, marking the latest effort by President William Ruto to address rising concerns over police brutality amid protests against a proposed tax hike. Demonstrators stormed parliament on June 25 after lawmakers passed a bill proposing tax increases, forcing them to escape through an underground tunnel. Police responded by opening fire on the protesters.

Protests and Government Response

The protests have evolved into demands for President Ruto's resignation. In response, Ruto has taken several steps, including withdrawing the tax hike proposal and dismissing nearly all his Cabinet ministers on Thursday. He pledged to form a new, leaner, and more efficient government.

On Friday, Ruto accepted the resignation of Inspector General Japhet Koome. The presidential office announced that Deputy Douglas Kanja would serve as acting inspector general. This move is part of Ruto's broader strategy to address social unrest in Kenya, a country often seen as a regional leader in Africa due to its size and political stability.

International Involvement

Kenya's international role is significant, with 400 Kenyan police recently deployed to violence-hit Haiti to lead a UN-backed multinational force. President Joe Biden also honoured Ruto with a state dinner at the White House in May, highlighting Kenya's stature on the global stage.

Human rights groups have accused Kenyan police of abductions and illegal detentions during the recent protests. Some victims have been released, and an independent policing oversight body has asked them to provide statements to aid in investigating police conduct.

Police confirmed on Friday that six bodies wrapped in sacks and several other body parts were found in a quarry near Mukuru kwa Njenga, a slum in Nairobi. The six victims were all female and appeared to have been killed similarly. The recovery operation will continue on Saturday after human rights activists reported seeing more bodies.

University Students Protest

Hundreds of university students blocked a major highway on Friday, protesting the death of a colleague whose body was found in another quarry on Nairobi's outskirts. Demonstrators claimed that police killed him because he posted a video of himself inside parliament during the June 25 protests.

Since June 18, protesters have demanded the sacking of ministers over incompetence, corruption, and displays of opulence amidst high taxation and a cost-of-living crisis. Kenya's ballooning debt is expected to grow further after the protests led to the rejection of the finance bill that Ruto initially said was necessary to raise revenue.

The social unrest has unfolded in a country generally viewed as politically stable and an essential ally of Western nations in counterterrorism efforts and other issues.