Timi Frank slams Ruto over deadly crackdown on Kenyan protesters

Rights activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of Nigeria’s All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has denounced the recent killings of peaceful demonstrators in Kenya, describing the actions of security forces as a gross violation of democratic principles.

In a strong message to President William Ruto, Frank urged an immediate end to the bloodshed and called on Kenyan authorities to rein in security agencies accused of using excessive force.

On Monday, Kenyan police reportedly opened fire on protesters in Nairobi during demonstrations commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Saba Saba pro-democracy movement. According to police sources, at least 11 people lost their lives and nearly 600 others were arrested during the unrest, which quickly escalated into violence.

The Saba Saba protests, observed every July 7, mark a pivotal moment in Kenya’s history that ignited the push for multi-party democracy in 1990. This year’s protests were further fueled by public outrage over the death of blogger Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody last month.

“It is time to stop these avoidable murders,” Frank stated, urging the Ruto administration to uphold democratic values and adopt lawful means of addressing public dissent.

He demanded the unconditional release of detained demonstrators and expressed solidarity with families who lost loved ones during the protests.

“They would be remembered as those who died fighting for a better future for their country,” he said.

Addressing Ruto directly, whom he described as a friend, Frank reminded the Kenyan leader that the very citizens now facing brutal suppression were once his supporters at the ballot box.

“The right thing to do is not to kill them but to dialogue with them,” he said. “This is democracy. You were elected and these were the people who believed in you and voted for you and it is their constitutional right to protest if they are dissatisfied with your administration.”

Frank emphasized that the use of deadly force against unarmed civilians contradicts international standards, citing both the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

“This nonsense in Africa has to stop where African leaders will be killing peaceful protesters unnecessarily,” he said. “But when they need the vote of the people, they will dance with them and make all kinds of promises.”

He urged the international community to take decisive action, calling for sanctions against the Ruto government and travel bans on security officials responsible for the shootings.

Frank also appealed directly to former U.S. President Donald Trump and the United Nations to step in and address what he termed as repressive conduct by the Kenyan government.

“It is wrong to kill protesters. Instead of killing them, it is the duty of government to protect them,” he said. “We saw recently when there was protest against Trump. They did not deploy the National Guard to kill the protesters but rather to protect them and that is what democracy is all about.

“This is a time for Trump to speak out for those young Africans being killed for demanding good governance and to see to it that they get justice,” he said.

In his role as Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Frank called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open investigations into the killings and hold Ruto and his top security aides accountable.

He encouraged Kenyan youth to remain brave and persistent in their call for justice, despite the state’s forceful response.

Finally, Frank criticized the African Union for its silence, accusing the continental body of failing to respond to serious human rights abuses.

“African heads of state and governments only speak when a coup takes place and one of their own is affected and that is the only time they are relevant. This is most unfortunate,” he said.