Kenya’s police chief, Japhet Koome, has resigned following significant criticism of the police’s handling of recent antigovernment protests, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of demonstrators. The announcement came a day after President William Ruto dismissed almost his entire cabinet.
In a statement released on Friday, the presidency confirmed that President Ruto had “accepted the resignation” of Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, who had been in the role since November 2022. Deputy Inspector-General Douglas Kanja has been appointed as the acting police chief, effective immediately.
Koome’s resignation follows widespread allegations of excessive force used by police during the protests, marking one of the most serious crises of Ruto’s near two-year presidency. Kenya’s national rights watchdog reported that at least 39 people were killed during the demonstrations.
Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi, reporting from Nairobi, emphasized the significance of Koome’s resignation, noting that it had been a key demand of the young protesters and many other Kenyans who were critical of the police’s actions during the protests. “It wasn’t just tear gas the police were using, it was also live bullets. Some people are still in hospital because they were shot. Many others died because of the shooting,” Soi said.
In response to the protests, Ruto has also taken several measures aimed at placating demonstrators, including abandoning a controversial finance bill that included unpopular tax increases. On Thursday, he dismissed the attorney general and all cabinet ministers except for Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
However, these measures have not fully appeased some young Kenyans, who remain frustrated with Ruto’s failure to deliver on his 2022 election promises to create jobs and improve their economic situation. Hyrence Mwangi, a 25-year-old protester, told AFP, “We will be back on the streets until Ruto goes. He has wasted two years in office travelling and telling lies.”
The protests, which initially started peacefully, escalated sharply when police fired at crowds storming parliament on June 25, leading to significant destruction. While the large-scale street protests have subsided, dissatisfaction with the government and the police persists. Jackson Rotich, a 27-year-old protester, expressed ongoing distrust, stating, “When we first went to the streets, Ruto dismissed us as a bunch of hired goons and criminals, only to come later and start saying he will make changes. We can’t trust him.”
