BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protesters | BBC News

Key Concepts:

• Kenya Finance Bill 2024: Proposed legislation to increase taxes to address Kenya's debt.
• Protests: Demonstrations against the Finance Bill, particularly at Kenya's parliament.
• Use of Force: Actions by security forces, including tear gas, truncheons, and gunfire, against protesters.
• Kenya Defence Forces (KDF): The military of Kenya, implicated in the shooting of protesters.
• BBC Africa Eye: Investigative journalism unit of the BBC that conducted the investigation.
• Open-Source Investigation: Using publicly available photos and videos to reconstruct events.

Investigation into the Shooting of Eric Shieni

• Background: The BBC Africa Eye investigation focuses on the death of Eric Shieni, a 27-year-old student, during protests against the Kenya Finance Bill 2024 at Kenya's parliament. The bill aimed to increase taxes to address the country's debt, but it faced widespread opposition.
• The Incident: On June 25th, Eric Shieni was part of a protest aiming to occupy the parliament and stop the bill from passing. Protesters encountered tear gas, truncheons, and gunfire. Eric was one of at least three people shot dead.
• Visual Evidence: The investigation analyzed over 5,000 photos and videos to reconstruct the events. Footage shows Eric caught in a stampede, heading out of parliament.
• Identifying the Shooter: An armed man is seen stepping into view moments before gunfire is heard and Eric falls. The investigation focused on identifying this individual.
• Uniform Analysis: The uniform of the armed man had distinctive features. These features were compared to over 150 images taken at the site within 10 minutes of the shooting.
• Identification of the Soldier: The comparison revealed a match: a soldier whose uniform matched the distinctive features. Senior officers in Kenya's defense forces confirmed the uniform is that of the Kenyan army.
• Allegation: The investigation concludes that this soldier shot Eric Shieni as he was running away from parliament.
• KDF Response: The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) stated that the authority investigating the events has not requested any information regarding KDF personnel involved in the operations. The KDF maintains it operates within its constitutional mandate and upholds the rule of law.

Conclusion:

The BBC Africa Eye investigation presents evidence suggesting that a Kenyan soldier shot Eric Shieni during protests against the Finance Bill 2024. The investigation used open-source materials and uniform analysis to identify the soldier. The KDF has acknowledged the investigation but stated that they have not received any requests for information regarding KDF personnel involved in the operations. The full documentary, "Blood Parliament," is available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC News Africa YouTube page.