Nairobi, Kenya – June 25, 2024:
Auma Obama, the half-sister of former US President Barack Obama, was teargassed by police during a live interview with CNN while protesting Kenya’s controversial Finance Bill 2024. Obama, a Kenyan-British activist, was speaking with CNN’s Larry Madowo when police dispersed the group of young protestors with tear gas.
“I can’t even see anymore, we’re being teargassed,” Obama exclaimed in dramatic footage captured by CNN. The protest in Nairobi is part of nationwide demonstrations against proposed tax hikes under the Finance Bill 2024, leading to a planned “total shutdown” of the country.
The protests, organized under the slogan “7 Days of Rage,” have seen widespread participation as Kenyans express their dissatisfaction with the government’s financial policies. “I’m here because look at what’s happening. Young Kenyans are demonstrating for their rights. They are demonstrating with flags and banners,” Obama stated during the interview.
President William Ruto has expressed a desire for dialogue with the protestors, claiming to be “proud” of their activism. However, allegations have surfaced accusing security forces of abducting prominent Kenyans, especially those with significant social media influence. Amnesty International Kenya is investigating the disappearances of up to 12 individuals who were reportedly abducted ahead of the protests.
“We are horrified by some of the testimonies we have heard over the last 24 hours. We have about 12 people unaccounted for who have been picked up, in many cases, by people who are uniformed or not uniformed,” said Irũngũ Houghton, executive director of Amnesty International Kenya. These individuals, including bloggers, content creators, human rights defenders, a doctor, and a parliamentary staffer, have not received legal assistance, and their families remain unaware of their whereabouts.
“We are now seeing not just abductions but disappearances,” Houghton added. CNN has reached out to the Kenyan police for comment, but no response has been received as of now.
These protests come at a time when Kenya’s international standing is on the rise, with US President Joe Biden designating the country a “major non-NATO ally” on Monday. This marks the first time a sub-Saharan African nation has received this status. President Biden announced this decision in May during President Ruto’s state visit to the White House, celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations between the US and Kenya.