On 14th July 2023, the United Nations Human Rights Office raised concerns on the ongoing demonstrations and protests in the country. The UN spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said that the police were using force to disperse masses adding that firearms should never be used during protests.
The Permanent Mission of Kenya released a statement on 16th July 2023, responding to UN’s concern on the anti-government protests in the country. “While the Permanent Mission shares the OHCHR’s concern for human rights, it is obliged to contest the characterization of recent events in Kenya as ‘peaceful protests’. Such a designation belies the widely and credibly documented ground reality,” read the statement shared by Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei.
The statement further clarified that the incidents of death and violence only happened in specific areas of the country and therefore do not represent the entire country. The Permanent Mission added that the protests were being managed by law enforcement agencies that would ensure the safety of Kenyans and limit the destruction of property.
