On June 25th 2024, blood was spilt at Kenya's parliament.
 That day, thousands of protestors headed there to stop the 2024 finance bill being passed into law. En-route they were met with tear gas, truncheons, and even gunfire. When they got there, and stormed the legislature, some of that gunfire turned lethal. At least three people were killed: students, shopkeepers, and Sunday school teachers. Since then, no one has been held to account for their deaths.
 Now, using open-source intelligence (OSINT) and forensic techniques, #BBCAfricaEye can expose the men who spilled blood on the grounds of Kenya’s parliament.

This documentary investigates the events of June 25th, 2024, in Kenya, when widespread protests against the government's proposed Finance Bill culminated in violence and deaths at the Parliament building in Nairobi. The report meticulously reconstructs the day's events using thousands of photos and videos, identifying specific security forces personnel involved in the shootings of protestors David Chege, Erickson Mutisya, and Eric Shieni. It challenges the government's narrative that the protests were hijacked by criminals, presenting evidence that unarmed protestors were targeted by police and army officers. The documentary concludes by highlighting the impact of the Gen Z-led protests, which ultimately led to President Ruto withdrawing the Finance Bill, and the ongoing demand for accountability and justice for the victims.

 The proposed 2024 Finance Bill, which aimed to address Kenya's debt problem through increased taxes, sparked widespread protests, particularly among young Kenyans (Gen Z), who felt the burden would disproportionately affect them.

 Peaceful protests on June 25th, 2024, turned violent when security forces used tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition against protestors attempting to occupy Parliament.

 BBC Africa Eye's investigation identified specific police and army officers involved in the deaths of protestors David Chege, Erickson Mutisya, and Eric Shieni, using photo and video evidence.

 President Ruto initially defended the security forces' actions, blaming "organized criminals" for hijacking the protests, but later conceded and withdrew the Finance Bill in response to public pressure.

 The Gen Z-led protests demonstrated the power of citizen activism and the ability of ordinary people to influence government policy.

 The documentary highlights a lack of accountability for the use of excessive force by security forces against protestors, raising concerns about impunity.

 The investigation reveals a significant discrepancy between the government's account of the events and the reality captured by citizen journalists and media on the ground.

 The use of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram played a crucial role in mobilizing protestors and documenting the events as they unfolded.

The events of June 25th, 2024, at Kenya's Parliament serve as a stark reminder of the importance of government accountability and the power of citizen activism. The documentary's meticulous investigation exposes the brutal reality of the day, challenging the official narrative and underscoring the need for justice for the victims and their families. The protests, driven by a generation demanding change, ultimately forced the government to reconsider its policies, demonstrating the potential for meaningful change when citizens unite and make their voices heard.

Blood Parliament - BBC Africa Eye Documentary

Sometimes... SHOUTING, SIRENS ..to catch a killer in a crowd... They have killed someone! ..all it takes... SCREAMING ..is one little click. In June last year, blood was spilt on the grounds of Kenya's parliament. Media, media. Media, media. The month before, the Government, led by its president William Ruto, proposed its annual budget, the 2024 Finance Bill. If we are a serious state, we must be able to enhance our taxes. By raising taxes, it promised to address the country's growing debt problem. I vote yes. But many young Kenyans, nicknamed Gen Zs, didn't see it that way. CHANTING: No more taxes! Our Members of Parliament, the President, they are not listening to us at all. MAN SHOUTS People just had enough of everything. That is where it all began. On June 25th... Woo! ..everything changed. CROWD CHANTS More than 100,000 Kenyans hit the streets of Nairobi. Their aim? Occupy the Parliament. They were going there as owners of the house. It's a People's Assembly, belongs to the people. At first, security forces held them back with tear gas and truncheons. LOUD BANG But as the day went on, tactics changed. GUNFIRE Every single time we went to the streets, even had our hands up saying, &quot;we are peaceful, we are peaceful,&quot;... CROWD CHANTS ..but they still gunned people down. RAPID GUNFIRE Why now? At least three young men were killed at Kenya's Parliament. David Chege, Erickson Mutisya and Eric Shieni. That evening, President Ruto gave his account of what had happened. Today, an otherwise legitimate expression of the fundamental rights and freedoms of assembly was infiltrated and hijacked by a group of organised...criminals. Though he regretted the deaths, he thanked the security forces and placed the blame squarely with those he called organised criminals. Since then, no official investigation has been published and no-one held to account for the killings on June 25th. But BBC Africa Eye has been digging. We've mapped more than 5,000 photos and videos to reconstruct those killings. You could see he's clearly aiming, meaning he was aiming to kill as a message to them. Now we can show you exactly what happened. CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS We can pick out the killers in the crowd... GUNSHOTS ..we can reveal who they were working for... Let's go guys! MAN SHOUTS ..and we can offer an answer to one simple question - was there any reason to spill blood on the grounds of Kenya's parliament? When I came into office, I told everybody, tighten up your belts. I am not going to preside over a bankrupt country. I am not going to preside over a country that is in debt distress. In 2024, the Government produces another finance bill. Taxing basic commodities so people couldn't afford them any more. Over the past decade, our tax revenue as a share of GDP has remained stagnant. This stagnation is a cause for concern. So really, really hard for everyone as it is and the taxes are going to make life much harder for all of us. The whole principle is that you must live within your means. We have billions of Kenyan shillings lost in corruption every single day and no-one is held to account. The differences between how the common citizen is living and how the political class is living is... SHE SIGHS People are just pained and our Members of Parliament, the President, they are not listening to us at all. This committee did indeed listen to the people of Kenya, from the VAT that was proposed on bread to the boda boda sector, to the eco levies on diapers, on sanitary towels. There was anger that was expressed yesterday on the streets.

And we start this hour in Kenya, where the security forces have clashed with hundreds of protesters opposed to tax hikes put forward by the Government. It was a Gen Z protest to begin with. You know, young, young people. The protests are not only in Nairobi, they're across the country. For the first time it was the Kenyan people, the working class and the middle class and the lower class, against the ruling class. Even when we were on the streets, they don't understand why we are there. We did the first protest on the June 18th - arrest. June 20th - arrest. And then we said on the 25th we are coming back to occupy Parliament. The atmosphere was extremely tense, but no-one really anticipated what would have happened on the 25th. Honourable members... ..we have quorum to transact business. June 25th, 2024. Yes. Order! 9:30am at Kenya's Parliament. We are dealing with a very important issue of the Finance Bill. Inside, MPs are filing in for the last reading of the Government's finance bill. Outside... WHISTLING, SHOUTING It was a party. It was a beautiful party. Kids came out with Bluetooth speakers and their water. It was a carnival, the entire city. There was no destruction, there was no violence. CHANTING There was only one goal, when they started on the bill, we go to Parliament. CHANTING I looked at every corner and every side, I really felt that this was it. This is something this country has never seen before. I was... SHE SIGHS I saw hope. MEN CHANT My name is Ademba Allans. I'm a journalist by profession, currently in school. On June 25th, for me, it was just a normal day. I knew people would just be there, shout, &quot;Ruto must go!&quot; People are live streaming on their TikTok, on their Instagram. And now the media is here. This thing is being live streamed on national TV. TV COMMENTARY That's when I realised that it was going to be serious. Honourable members, do we put the question? By the time voting begins... Will as many as of that opinion say aye. ..numbers have hit over 10,000 in central Nairobi. I would say, you know what, we're going to go all out. We felt this was possible, we would finally occupy Parliament. But the police have other ideas. LOUD BANGS Now the numbers start getting bigger and people actually start getting arrested. The police are everywhere. They're trying to push people back. People start confronting the police officers. Not fighting them, but asking them, &quot;Why are you arresting us? We are peacefully protesting.&quot; CROWD CHANTS For three hours, more than 100,000 protesters pour in from the east, the north and the west. They unite and push towards their target - Parliament. This is downtown CBD. Look at them that side too. We are not scared at all. This is Kenya. We are one. Order, honourable members. Order! Despite the chaos on the streets, MPs are still in the chamber. I vote yes. Ongole Babu Owino. I vote no. I was 100% supporting the demonstration. We were not happy in Parliament. Reject! Reject! Reject! There was a lot of lobbying by the Executive those Members of Parliament who are in support of the Finance Bill. Early on they were so happy that they were winning. Back at the protest, police are holding these three pinch points. SIRENS, EXPLOSIONS Tear gas and rubber bullets hound the protesters... GUNSHOTS ..but they keep coming. People even climbing on top of those water cannons. People evading arrest. Now numbers are increasing. People had one sole goal... Parliament! ..to enter the parliament. By 2:00pm, police are mounting a last defence at the north-eastern corner of Parliament. But they're surrounded. Inside the chamber.. Honourable members.

..something big is about to happen. Ayes - 195. Nays - 106. The ayes have it. The Finance Bill's voted in. Opposition MPs storm out. I said I will join the people. THEY CHANT Word instantly reaches the protesters. Get down. Get down. After some of us getting arrested and being beaten up, they still pass it to be an actual bill. Now, this is when everybody is saying that whatever happens, we are going to enter the parliament and show the MPs that we believe in what we are fighting for. At 2:20, they break through. It is happening guys. It is happening! LOUD BANG, SIRENS We've arrived! They've reached Parliament. We've arrived! People have entered Parliament! People are inside the parliament. A lot happens at once in the next hour, so we're going to break it down minute by minute. We've analysed over 5,000 photos and videos shot on the ground that day. We've determined when each was shot using camera metadata... ..live stream timings... ..and public clocks visible in the shots. And we've plotted where they were shot on a 3D reconstruction of the site, giving us a second-by-second 360-degree view of what happened next. We left the protest at 2:20 with police in full retreat. Some demonstrators pursue them down Parliament Road. Others overrun this area and destroy an abandoned police truck. The rest tear down the fences and set foot on the grounds. The incursion is short. They don't make it inside. GUNFIRE Security forces return up Parliament Road to clear them out. Go forward! Forward! But with them come the photojournalists. On the front line, one photographer took these. He didn't know it then, but he'd just captured the last three seconds of this man's life. GUNFIRE Seven men are hit. The people are now saying, &quot;They've shot people, they've shot people.&quot; Ademba tries to reach them. You are also crying. You are terrified. Maybe I'm the next person who is going to get shot. But you have to help these people. LOUD EXPLOSIONS But for two of those men, he's already too late. There was a guy next to me was in white overalls. I don't know where he's shot, but he was shot. You could see blood. Ambulance! We saw this young man in the street a few moments ago. His name is Erickson Mutisya. He was wearing white overalls from his work as a butcher. He was 25 years old. I saw Erickson Mutisya a few minutes before he died. He died on the spot right next to me. What did he do wrong? Did he pose any threat? Why is he dead? The second casualty is the man in the purple hoodie. His name is David Chege, a 39-year-old software engineer who ran a Sunday school for children. He was kind, humble, soft-spoken. I'm going to disappoint you. It has to be possible. No it's impossible. You know why? I went to some of those funerals. I went to enough funerals to last me a lifetime.

The kids who buried him were his Sunday school students. When everyone had dispersed... ..I found the mother standing alone at the grave. ON VIDEO: Ma'am, I'm so sorry for your loss. What would you like to tell the country? I have no words. Heartbroken. My heart is broken. I actually think that was the last funeral that I went to. I couldn't... I couldn't handle more mothers breaking. Forward! Forward! To find David and Erickson's shooter... ..we need to find the moment he pulled the trigger. Go forward! Police advance up Parliament Road. Then this happens. RAPID GUNFIRE It's not clear at first, but look closer. One officer kneels to a firing position and then... RAPID GUNFIRE ..this protester goes down... ..as does a figure dressed in white - Ericsson. To see David, we need to change our angle. If these shots hit him too, that officer's 50m from the pair as he takes them. And it just so happens one journalist was filming in the right place at the right time. RAPID GUNFIRE Same shots. The protester we saw fall in the first video and David, now dead next to him. There is no doubt some of  these shots hit David and Ericsson. Meaning this man is the one who fired them. But how do you track a man with just a photo of his back? Look at the uniforms. Different weapons... ..different body armour, riot shield, headgear. And in his case, an upturned neck guard. His features single him out in a video shot a minute later. A perfect match. He keeps his back turned in this one, too. All except for one little click. Before he opened fire, he made sure to hide his face. Why is his face being covered up? They decided that they have to shoot. Why? Why did you kill us? Why did you kill peaceful protesters? But our hunt for accountability doesn't end here. I just saw the video... ..of moments before David Chege and Erickson were shot dead. Go forward! Go forward! My heart really sunk because you could hear the police officers saying, &quot;Kuua, kuua.&quot; It's a Swahili word which means to kill. Go forward! Kill! Go forward! Why would a police officer who is mandated to protect us be that brutal, cruel for nothing? After months of digging, BBC Africa Eye can identify this police officer. His name is John Kaboi. Multiple sources told us he's a plainclothes officer based at the Central Nairobi Police Station. Even after the fatal shots, he could still be heard urging his colleagues forward to kill. Kill! Go forward! This is the man who fired those shots into a crowd 50m from him. And this is the officer who urged him to do it. Both David and Erickson were in that crowd. Neither of them were armed, and neither of them were organised criminals who'd hijacked the protest. This is what the state is killing.

It's brave, harmless youths demanding for a better country. Ericsson's friends carry his body to the southern gate of Parliament. He's a hero! Shame on you! This is someone's brother! Through its bars, MP Owino tries to console them. These gentlemen were genuinely fighting for their lives. I jumped across the gate to see if I could provide help. But this young man had lost his life. We'll not accept the police killing people. Gen Z must continue the demonstrations. We are supporting you. From that moment, the Gen Zs were very close to Parliament. The only thing that they could fear was fear itself. And they say that enough is enough. Rather than dissuade the demonstrators... ..the killings have galvanised them. They try for Parliament again, but this time they do it differently. GUNFIRE People came in numbers, like a whole stadium is there. Most of them are just, they fear for their life, but they want to get the parliament. One man at the front of the pack stands out. We saw him earlier photographed seconds before David and Ericsson were shot dead. It's a clearer picture, but we still can't see who he is. But in this one, we can. No jacket, but the gloves are the same. And the shorts match too. His name is Eric Shieni. On a normal day, he'd be studying at university. But today, he's on the front line. They were not running. They move walking, then they squat down. GUNFIRE The guards are overwhelmed. There's nothing that they could do. GUNSHOTS Despite the warning shots, Eric stays with them as they make their final push. GUNFIRE CROWD SHOUT People now enter the parliament. People were inside the parliament. Once inside, momentum turns to mayhem. The damage is in the millions. Even the chamber is breached. Mister Speaker, sir! Mr Speaker, sir, I'm here to address you. You must go. You must go, Ruto must go! Ruto must go. The last MPs, who were just in that chamber, evacuate. Those MPs were so scared. Some were running through the tunnels. Some were getting into ambulances, trying to escape. The destruction is severe, but short-lived. After five minutes, they're leaving. Maybe it's an adrenaline rush or something, but your brain telling you that somebody is going to die. There's Eric. Something spooks the crowd. He's caught in the stampede and we lose him. GUNFIRE Ademba's right. Somebody's going to die. GUNFIRE CONTINUES What just happened? Behind the smoke, three bodies remain. Two of them are wounded. Ademba's there again, leading the evacuation. This person is heavily bleeding. There is no ambulance, so we carry him. They are shooting us! Why are you shooting us? Why is Ruto killing us? I feared for my life that my parents would never see me again. But I also feared to let other people die when I could help. But the third casualty's beyond Ademba's help. He was shot in the head bro. He's already dead. It's his hat. A bullet's torn through the cap and its owner -

But the third casualty's beyond Ademba's help. He was shot in the head bro. He's already dead. It's his hat. A bullet's torn through the cap and its owner - Eric. Eric Kayoni Shieni. Good day! Good day! Perfect day! He was a 27-year-old student of the University of Nairobi. He studied finance. I hope that his death is not in vain. And as long as we live, we shall fight for justice for him and the others who died in the streets. HE SINGS Baby, baby, I'm broke today but I'll be successful tomorrow. Only you baby, my only one. Everything we've seen up until now leads us to one question - who killed Eric Shieni? If we follow the trail of evidence to the fatal shot, we can find the man who fired it. It starts with the protesters leaving Parliament. My name is Faith Odhiambo and I'm the President of the Law Society of Kenya. The video is very clear. It shows that the protesters were walking out of Parliament, and when the shooting starts, they were all running out. As a reminder, Eric's here... ..in his yellow gloves. GUNFIRE We lose him for a moment... ..but pick him back up as he reaches the exit. A last flash of his yellow gloves, and then Eric goes down. GUNSHOTS And now we've got the gunshot, we can get the shooter. At first, the bedlam obscures any clues. Then this man steps into frame. You could see he's clearly aiming. So meaning he was aiming to kill as a message to them. Have a look from another angle. He's just 25m from Eric. And there's no question where his rifle's pointing. The aim was to kill those protesters. Eric was just the unfortunate one. With this video alone, our trail to the shooter looks like it's ending. But like the last one, this one's got a giveaway. His uniform. A white shoulder patch, a matte green helmet... ..tan boots... ..and a solid stock rifle. Perhaps that's enough. Three minutes after the shooting, a photographer caught these. CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS At first, the uniforms all seem the same,

but there's actually subtle differences. Wrong headgear. No shoulder patch. Different rifle stock. But what about him? Same helmet... ..same boots... ..and a solid stock rifle. And the shoulder patch? Were he the shooter, it'd be on his other shoulder, which he shows in this video shot seconds later. There. We scoured through more than 150 images of the scene, taken within ten minutes of the shooting. In all of them, only one man matches all the criteria on this list. Him. Eric deserved a fair hearing. We don't know if he damaged Parliament or not. He wasn't aggressive, he was leaving the premises. They could have had him arrested. But the fact that you shoot his head, it was clearly an intention to kill. You have become the judge, the jury and the sentence executioner for Eric. Our suspect wasn't there by mistake. He was working for someone. So the last question is - who? The answer lies in these, taken seven minutes after the killing. The squad's moved, but our suspect's still with them. There he is and there's his badge. But is it white? Boost the natural colour - black, red and green too. Only one part of Kenya's security forces officially wears this when deployed domestically - the Army. We consulted several senior officers in Kenya's Defence Forces, the KDF. All confirmed this man's uniform is that of the Kenyan Army, a force well regarded by the public, not known for turning its guns on civilians. No single piece of evidence pinpoints Eric's killer, but connected, the trail of images we followed lay out a grim case. This man's features match those of the shooter. His uniform shows he's a soldier. And he was aiming at Eric as gunshots rang out. All our evidence points to one conclusion - this soldier killed Eric Shieni as he was running away. That is unlawful. It is unnecessary use of force. Eric deserved a fair hearing. He did not deserve the death penalty. It was very terrible that day. Let me just breathe because... There was actual psychological effect on me following the demonstration because seeing what I saw in front of the parliament, the blood all over the ground, I wouldn't wish for anybody to go through that, any family to witness their son being buried. More than two thirds of Kenya's counties held demonstrations on June 25th. There was turmoil in some. Shops were looted, buildings torched and an estimated 30 people killed. The account President Ruto gave on June 25th painted some of the protesters as organised criminals who hijacked the demonstrations. But for the killings at Parliament, the account captured on the cameras of those who were there is quite different. An account of impunity... ..of brutality... ..of blood. The individual police officers that were caught on camera shooting, how do you sleep at night? There is a mother who wakes up every day crying because she lost her son. How do you live with yourself? The next day, President Ruto backed down. I run a government, but I also lead people. And the people have spoken. I concede. And therefore I will not sign the 2024 Finance Bill. That becomes our collective position. Our country recognised we are all one and we are all Kenyans, and we are fighting for the same thing. A single spark of defiance from these Gen Zs were able to change the whole trajectory of our country. You must listen to the heartbeat of the nation. You are killing us. What if this was your child that was brought to you dead tonight? We are going to demand for accountability and justice. We're never going to give up. We, the citizens have the power, not them. We have a generation that once they believe in something, they will do anything for it. If you believe in something, just fight for it.

Video Summaries

Blood Parliament - BBC Africa Eye Documentary

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