Busia Senator and human rights advocate Okiya Omtatah has revealed that he deliberately discouraged protestors from marching to State House during the June 25 anniversary demonstrations, warning that such a move could have led to deadly consequences.
“There was very big pressure for people to march to State House, and one of the reasons I was sitting down and attracting the crowd was to stop that march because I knew people were going to be killed,” Omtatah told reporters. “I didn’t want another life lost when we were just commemorating the death of other people.”
His remarks came amid nationwide protests held to mark one year since the deadly June 25, 2024, anti-government demonstrations.
This year’s protests, largely driven by youth, aimed to honour victims of police brutality and demand justice for the dozens who died both last year and in recent days.
As emotions ran high, Omtatah urged Kenyans to resist calls for an uprising and instead channel their frustrations into a peaceful and democratic transition through the ballot box in 2027.
“You can see where Sudan is, because Sudan was not able to harness the anger of the people and to guide it away from being an uprising to being a revolution,” he cautioned, referring to the ongoing conflict in the neighbouring country.
Calling for civic engagement and institutional accountability, the Senator emphasized the importance of preparing for the 2027 elections by mobilizing citizens to register as voters and monitor the electoral process.
“People must be registered as voters, and once they are registered, we must prepare to go to elections and monitor all polling stations,” he said. He also called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to enhance transparency by publishing the GPS locations of all polling stations—an effort he said would help deter electoral irregularities similar to those reported in 2022.
Omtatah’s plea for restraint comes in the wake of fresh unrest that rocked the country on Wednesday, as thousands poured into the streets to commemorate last year’s bloody protests against the Finance Bill.
The day ended in tragedy, with at least 16 people confirmed dead—most of them shot by police, according to Amnesty International Kenya.
“Most were killed by police,” Amnesty Kenya Executive Director Irungu Houghton told Reuters, noting that five of the deaths had been confirmed as caused by gunshots. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) also reported over 400 casualties, including protestors, police officers, and journalists, and cited “allegations of excessive use of force, including rubber bullets, live ammunition and water cannons.”
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) said at least 61 people were arrested during the protests, while Kenyatta National Hospital confirmed receiving over 100 wounded—most suffering from gunshot injuries.
