Kenya Police Chief Resigns Amid Protest Crackdown Criticism
Kenya's police chief has resigned after criticism of officers’ conduct during recent antigovernment demonstrations in which dozens of protesters were killed.
In a statement released by the presidency on Friday, it was disclosed that President William Ruto has “accepted the resignation” of Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, who has served in the role since November 2022.
Deputy Inspector-General Douglas Kanja has been appointed acting police chief with immediate effect, the presidency said.
The announcement followed President Ruto's decision to dismiss nearly his entire cabinet in response to protesters' demands.
Demonstrators, particularly young people, had called for the resignation of Police Chief Koome, accusing the police of excessive force during the protests, which have been the most serious crisis of Ruto’s presidency so far.
Kenya's national rights watchdog reported at least 39 fatalities in the antigovernment demonstrations.
In an effort to quell the unrest, Ruto also abandoned an unpopular finance bill proposing tax increases and dismissed the attorney general along with all cabinet ministers, except for Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Despite these actions, many young Kenyans remained discontented with Ruto’s performance, accusing him of failing to fulfill his 2022 election promises to create jobs and improve their economic situation. “We will be back on the streets until Ruto goes. He has wasted two years in office travelling and telling lies,” said Hyrence Mwangi, 25.
The initially peaceful protests escalated dramatically when police opened fire on crowds that stormed and partially set ablaze the parliament complex on June 25.
While large-scale street protests have subsided, anger against the government and the police has not.
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