"BBC UNMASKS KENYAN OFFICERS BEHIND DEADLY PARLIAMENT SHOOTINGS"

A BBC investigation has identified members of Kenya's security forces responsible for the fatal shooting of unarmed protesters during demonstrations against the Finance Bill 2024 last June. The findings have intensified calls for accountability amid mounting frustration over a lack of official action.

Through forensic analysis of more than 5,000 images and videos captured by journalists and demonstrators, BBC Africa Eye revealed that police and military officers fired live ammunition at peaceful protesters outside Kenya’s Parliament on 25 June 2024. Three demonstrators — David Chege, Ericsson Mutisya, and Eric Shieni — were confirmed dead from gunshot wounds, with none posing any threat at the time of their deaths.

Footage from the chaotic scenes shows a plain-clothed police officer, identified as John Kaboi, urging uniformed colleagues to "kill" the protesters. Kaboi, believed to be attached to Central Nairobi Police Station, was seen moments before officers opened fire on the crowd. BBC’s analysis linked the fatal shots that killed Chege and Mutisya to one police officer, although his name remains unknown.

Another young protester, finance student Eric Shieni, was shot in the head while attempting to leave Parliament grounds. BBC’s 3D reconstruction traced the fatal bullet to a soldier positioned approximately 25 metres away.

Despite the Kenyan constitution guaranteeing the right to peaceful protest, no security officers have been held accountable nearly a year after the tragedy. A parliamentary committee had ordered the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to investigate the killings and publish a report, but no findings have been made public to date.

The killings, however, galvanized rather than subdued the protests, culminating in the storming of Parliament. The widespread public outrage eventually forced President William Ruto to withdraw the controversial Finance Bill, which had sparked weeks of demonstrations over proposed tax increases.

Addressing the nation after the protests, President Ruto defended the security forces, accusing "organised criminals" of hijacking the demonstrations, even as the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights confirmed at least 39 deaths and 361 injuries nationwide during the protests.

In response to the BBC’s findings, Kenya’s police service said it could not investigate itself, and pointed to IPOA’s mandate. The Kenya Defence Forces also denied receiving any investigation requests regarding its personnel.

Legal experts, including Faith Odhiambo, president of the Law Society of Kenya, condemned the killings as extrajudicial executions. "The aim was to kill those protesters. They could have arrested him, but they chose to shoot to kill," she said.

As Kenya reflects on the tragedy, families of the victims continue to demand justice, while human rights groups warn that failure to act could embolden future abuses by security forces.