Hollywood star Lupita Nyong’o has voiced her concerns about recent events in Kenya, sharply criticizing President William Ruto’s administration for its handling of citizen protests.
Lupita referred to the protests between June and August 2024, during which Kenyans took to the streets to oppose the Finance Bill 2024 and demand greater government accountability.
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The protests resulted in several deaths and hundreds of injuries, with the police accused of using excessive force. Infiltrators and abductions by individuals later identified as police officers also marked these demonstrations.
In a candid interview with the BBC, Lupita likened the political environment under President Ruto to the oppressive era of former President Daniel Moi, marked by intolerance to dissent, political disappearances, and abuse of state institutions.
“It is chilling to know that this government is resorting to tactics I thought were left behind,” Lupita said, drawing comparisons between the current regime and Moi’s repressive rule.
Born in Mexico, where her parents sought asylum due to political persecution during Moi’s presidency, Lupita also addressed the abductions seen during Ruto’s tenure, with some families still searching for missing loved ones.
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The actress shared her personal connection to this issue, recalling how her uncle mysteriously disappeared in the 1980s. “We were not allowed to open the curtains, go to school, or keep any of his writings,” she recalled, explaining how her family was targeted due to his activism against the Moi regime. Her family believes he was killed, though his body was never recovered.
“The more things change, the more they stay the same… I don’t know how this story ends,” Lupita commented, expressing uncertainty about the state of Kenya’s democracy in light of how protests have been managed.
Human rights groups have similarly criticized President Ruto’s government for violating human rights and cracking down on peaceful protesters, raising concerns about a shrinking democratic space.