Following anti-government protests in Kenya on Wednesday, police officers shot and killed six people. According to the Ministry of Interior, 304 others were arrested. The ministry also stated that the authorities had documented numerous incidents of looting and damage.

Several human rights organizations have criticized this response by police to the protests, calling it police brutality. Amnesty International has asked the government and police to follow the United Nations (UN) Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms, as well as the constitutional right to assemble and demonstrate. Human Rights Watch has also urged Kenyan lawmakers to stop labeling protestors as “terrorists” and to look into the numerous examples of police abuse during the protests.

The protests aimed to call to the government’s attention the high cost of living, which has become onerous for ordinary Kenyans following the adoption of the contentious Finance Bill 2023. Despite the bill’s suspension by the High Court, petrol costs have already risen, tightening the noose around middle and low-income families.

The ministry ordered school closures on Tuesday in preparation for the three-day protests, which were slated to begin on Wednesday. This followed an incident in which police sprayed tear gas at a school in Kangemi, injuring 30 children.