Prominent constitutional lawyer Willis Otieno has issued a scathing condemnation of the government’s handling of recent nationwide protests, accusing state forces of outright brutality and demanding immediate accountability.
Otieno has struck a chord with a growing number of Kenyans who feel betrayed by a government that, in their view, no longer listens.
“This is not tension; it’s murder by the state,” Otieno declared on Sunday, July 13, 2025, on his X account, in response to the escalating death toll of demonstrators killed during anti-government protests.
“Let’s stop sanitising it,” he added, calling on the public and the press to stop using euphemisms to describe what he termed “state-sponsored killings”.
Otieno’s fiery remarks follow reports of excessive police force used against peaceful protesters, many of whom were youth-led demonstrators decrying high taxation, corruption, and lack of accountability in government.
“We must call it what it is: a regime killing its citizens for exercising constitutional rights,” he said.
“These are not criminals. These are young people, Kenyans, whose only offence is speaking out.”
Pursuing justice?
He further challenged those in positions of authority to take responsibility for the bloodshed and bring all the persons of interest to book.
“Who signed off on this brutality? Who is going to prison for this death?” he demanded, about the most recent fatal shooting of an unarmed protester.
Otieno did not spare anyone he saw as complicit, as he continues to push for actions from the government to uphold human rights and freedom.
“Every police boss, every legacy politician cheerleading these crackdowns, every judicial officer enabling this rot, you all have blood on your hands,” he said, accusing the entire state machinery of turning a blind eye to gross violations of human rights.
Civil society groups, opposition politicians, and international observers have echoed similar concerns, citing numerous instances of police using live bullets and unlawful arrests to suppress demonstrations.
Otieno is now calling for urgent action from both local institutions and international human rights bodies.
“We demand a full investigation. We demand accountability. And we demand it now,” he said.
