A year on from the deadly protests that rocked Kenya, the nation marks the anniversary with fresh demonstrations against corruption and police brutality. The original unrest, which erupted in June last year, saw thousands take to the streets demanding accountability from a government they argue has grown fat on impunity. Sources on the ground confirm that at least 23 people were killed in the initial crackdown, but the true death toll remains buried in official obfuscation.
Now, as protesters gather again in Nairobi and Mombasa, the British government has issued a statement expressing solidarity with its Commonwealth partner. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The UK stands with Kenya as it pursues stability and the rule of law.” But critics question what that solidarity actually means.
Uncovered documents from the UK’s Department for International Development reveal a pattern of funding for Kenyan police reforms that have done little to prevent abuses. The money, millions of pounds in aid, was supposed to professionalise the force. Instead, sources close to the investigation say it disappeared into a labyrinth of offshore accounts controlled by senior officers and political figures.
The anniversary protests come at a delicate moment for President William Ruto, whose government faces a growing legitimacy crisis. The opposition has seized on the anniversary to demand new elections, accusing Ruto of rigging the 2022 vote. But the real story, the one that doesn’t make the news bulletins, is about the money.
Follow the cash of Kenya’s ruling elite and you’ll trace it to London property, Swiss accounts, and shell companies in the British Virgin Islands. Britain’s financial institutions have been a willing conduit for these funds, laundering billions in illicit wealth while the government in Whitehall makes speeches about standing with partners. The bodies from last year’s protests are buried, but the blood money flows on.
