37 Kenyan’s feared dead after election result announcement, human rights group say

Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has revealed that no less than 37 Kenyan’s including a six-month old girl ‘clobbered’ by security agents have lost their lives in the protests that followed the announcement of the last elections result.

According to the human rights commission in a report on Monday, some of the deaths were caused by “police using live bullets” while others were killed by police “bludgeoning using clubs”.

In August, Fred Matiangi, acting interior minister, denied security services used live bullets or excessive force in dealing with protesters and blamed the violence on “criminal elements”.

Read also: KENYA: Police fire tear gas at protesters calling for sack of electoral commission

“I’m not aware of anyone who has been killed by a live bullet fired by a police officer anywhere in this country,” Matiangi said.

The nationwide demonstrations were called by Raila Odinga, the opposition leader, who also demanded that the ruling party is blocked from changing voting laws, to suit the incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In the last two weeks, demonstrators have stormed the capital city of Nairobi and three other cities, calling for the sack of election board officials involved in August’s cancelled presidential vote.

Reports say the situation in Kenya is a worry for the U.S. government which is “deeply concerned” about the prevailing political environment as police and protesters continue to clash ahead of its re-scheduled presidential election ste to be staged on October 26, 2017.

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