Description: More than 100 people have been killed in the three – weeks long anti – government protests in Kenya. The country’s President, William Ruto, publicly instructed the police to shoot protesters in the legs if they are looting public places or businesses which caused the escalation of public upheaval, calling for his resignation or impeachment. The protests significantly intensified last week as demonstrators blocked key access roads and violently clashed with the police on several locations in the country’s capital and beyond. Following the controversial statements from the President and witnessing the situation on the ground with the brutal treatment from the police, Kenya’s political opposition is expected to consolidate around Rutto’s impeachment. The country has been engulfed in a revolving cycle of violent clashes over public resentment caused by elevated taxation, high costs of living and police brutality.
Impact: The violent crackdown of the political crisis in Kenya signals prolongation of the clashes between the protesters and the police forces, further destabilizing the country. Rutto has additionally instructed law enforcement to use excessive force in subverting the protesters effectively rejecting other more civilized methods of engagement with the protesters. The security situation in the country has been considerably aggravated, with the daily toll of civilian deaths constantly rising and fueling even more intense public outcry and resentment towards the governing establishment. The protests are set to continue and escalate, potentially turning more violent, augmenting the civil and political crisis even further.