King Charles III, the Head of the Commonwealth, has issued a heartfelt appeal to the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, urging him to explore dialogue to resolve his wrangle with President William Ruto.
Through the Commonwealth Secretariat Spokesperson, His Majesty, on Thursday, July 20, was concerned with the violence, especially after several protesters lost their lives.
“The Commonwealth is deeply concerned at the ongoing escalation of violence, conflict and loss of life in Kenya and calls on all leaders and communities to engage in dialogue to resolve the challenges Kenya faces.
“While economic concerns are the root of the conflict, it is troubling that the protests have seen an increase in the use of hate speech, and we call on leaders of all sides of the political divide to de-escalate the situation,” an excerpt of the statement read.
Commonwealth, which comprises of 56 countries, emphasised that it was ready to mediate and bring together the rivalling parties and restore peace and tranquillity in the country.
“Dialogue is the best solution to the current situation. We strongly encourage all parties to engage now in constructive dialogue based upon Commonwealth values and mutual respect and for Kenya’s leaders to quickly explore practical and sustainable solutions to the challenges their country and communities face,” the spokesperson, representing King Charles III as head of the Commonwealth, added.
The statement came hours after the Kenya Chapter of Amnesty International indicated that 30 people lost their lives through anti-government protests in five months.
Speaking to the press, Amnesty International Executive Director Irungu Houghton attributed the deaths to extra-judicial killings by the police.
“Preliminary investigations have revealed that the police have used beatings, arbitrary arrests and detention of protestors, indiscriminate and disproportionate use of tear gas and water cannons, and other serious rights violations to police the protests.
“We call for an immediate stop to violent policing and criminalising of protests by the state. We demand urgent investigations and prosecution of police officers and their commanders for excessive use of force by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and the Director of Public Prosecutions,” Irungu Houghton explained.
Raila, who is the force behind the protests, insists that his camp will hit the streets until the state lowers the cost of living expected to skyrocket after the implementation of the Finance Act.
The former Prime Minister argued that additional taxes imposed on salaried Kenyans would reduce incomes and push more Kenyans below the poverty line.
On the other hand, Ruto noted that the only solution to lower the cost of living is to invest in production and raise government revenue for smooth service delivery.
