On Monday, 16 May 2016, protesters were beaten and tear-gassed by police officers in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, during a demonstration that demanded the replacement of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, which they accused of lacking impartiality ahead of  the next general election scheduled for 2017. Since the incident, there have been several reports about the excessive use of force by the police officers to disperse the crowd.

Some police officers were photographed and recorded attacking protesters with batons, tear gas, and water cannons. According to Joseph Boinnet, Inspector General of Police Service of Kenya, the police officers used violence to disperse the crowd and end the demonstration on the account that protesters were displaying “lawlessness.”

Some protesters have pleaded guilty for participating in the demonstration which was deemed as illegal. There is no consensus in the media on whether these accused protesters admitted or denied the charge of carrying  stones. The United States Ambassador to Kenya, Robert Godec, has condemned the violence inflicted on protesters while Joseph Boinnet has launched an internal investigation into reports on the excessive use of violence by police officers.   

For more information, read:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36310797
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN0Y81YU
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3593243/The-terrifying-moment-free-speech-crushed-brutal-Kenyan-riot-police.html