Photo: Getty Images
Auma Obama, the half-sister of former President Barack Obama, was teargassed while being interviewed at a protest in Kenya.
On Tuesday (June 25), Auma Obama was hit with teargas in Nairobi during an interview with CNN's Larry Madowo.
"I can't even see anymore, we're being teargassed," she told CNN amid protests. "I'm here because look at what's happening. Young Kenyans are demonstrating for their rights. They are demonstrating with flags and banners."
The incident comes as protestors are speaking out against tax increases in Kenya.
Madowo covered some of the protests on Tuesday, saying it was "an extraordinary scene, seeing Auma Obama out here with these young people."
"We're back here on the street and you see the tear gas getting fired here and so many of these protesters not intimidated by that," Madowo said. "Sounds like live rounds here outside parliament, we aren't exactly certain that there's a distinctive sound between what is tear gas and what is live ammunition and we have seen police use live ammunition here."
"Protesters saying 'we are peaceful, stop shooting us, stop killing us,'" he added.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission shared footage of the protests on X, formerly Twitter, saying "Police have shot four protesters, as witnessed by KHRC, killing one. We strongly condemn the police killing. Such actions are unacceptable and constitute a grave violation of human rights. Justice and accountability are imperative."
"We will vigorously push for police accountability. #RejectFinanceBill2024," the commission added.
Amnesty International Kenya executive director Irũngũ Houghton said in a statement, "We are horrified by some of the testimonies we have heard over the last 24 hours. We have about 12 people unaccounted for who have been picked up, in many cases, by people who are uniformed or not uniformed."
"We are now seeing not just abductions but disappearances," Houghton added.
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