12 Jun Kongamano La Mapinduzi Statement on They are Budgeting to Kill us
une 12 2025, Nairobi – We thank all Comrades, and especially members of the media fraternity for attending this press conference that is of utmost importance to the nation.
This press conference has been called by Kongamano la Mapinduzi. Kongamano la Mapinduzi is a coalition of diverse Kenyan individuals, organizations, initiatives and movements, generally identifiable as progressive within struggles for civil, political, social, cultural, economic and ecological justice and freedoms.
Kongamano la Mapinduzi has called for today’s press conference to enable us address two important issues that have captured the national attention at this particular moment – the brutal murder of Albert Ojwang, and the 2025/2026 budget.
Murder of Albert Ojwang
Kongamano la Mapinduzi called for a press briefing on Monday, 9th June 2025, at the Nairobi Funeral Home (formerly City Mortuary) to not only condemn the killing of Albert Ojwang, but to also demand for justice and accountability for the more than 60 Kenyans who we have lost since last year. Albert, who was arrested by six police officers in Migori last weekend, was driven for over 350 kilometres to Nairobi, tortured, then detained at Central Police Station where he was killed.
The Inspector General of Police, Douglass Kanja, told the nation on Monday (9th June) that Albert Ojwang had died from self-inflicted injuries that he sustained after smashing his head against a wall while under police custody. The whole nation is aware of the post-mortem results that were released on Tuesday afternoon – results which indicate that Albert died not only from blunt force trauma to the head, but also from strangulation and other injuries inflicted on him by his abductors. The signs outlined in the pathologists report are consistent with torture.
Albert died a painful death. He died an excruciating death. He died a death that no human being deserves. Albert was a vibrant teacher. He was a young Kenyan with a young family. Albert Ojwang was full of dreams for the future. These dreams have been cut short through state violence. Albert is no more.
Baddies, we are dying in hospitals because they do not have enough medicine. Baddies, we are dying because of lack of knowledge, for our schools are both understaffed and under-equipped to prepare our generation for life in the 21st Century. And the system again wants us to die from its bullets? No!! We are tired of dying!!
KLM extends its deepest condolences to the family of Albert Ojwang. We cannot even pretend to imagine the pain they feel. All we can state is that it is a reflection of the pain of thousands of families across the country who have lost their loved ones to such senseless acts of violence – whether sanctioned by the state, or other powerful internal and external forces.
We welcome the investigative processes set up by Parliament and IPOA, but concurrently warn them that Kenyans are waiting for justice to be served. These two institutions should, and must not allow their investigative or oversight processes to be abused or used to cover up the murder of Albert Ojwang.
Kongamano la Mapinduzi demands the following:
- An end to extra-judicial killings in our country. According to a report by Missing Voices, the continued weaponisation of the police and other security agencies against the people of Kenya resulted in at least 104 police-related killings, and 55 enforced disappearances in 2024 alone. We insist that the police should be a source of security, not insecurity.
- An immediate and independent inquiry or investigation to establish who killed Albert Ojwang’. This process should involve the arrest and prosecution of all who were involved in Albert Ojwang’s arrest, interrogation and murder, including those they were reporting to, or receiving orders from, as relates to this particular matter.
- The resignation of Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat who was the complainant in this particular issue, and who is clearly a person of interest in the murder case. We further demand the resignation of the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, for feeding the nation false information – presumably with the intention of covering–up the murder of Albert Ojwang. It is not enough to fire a few junior officers, while letting the big boys go scot-free. That is a shallow action that does not impress us! We are tired of your performative actions.
Justice must be served!
2025/2026 Budget: They are Budgeting to Kill us.
The 2025/2026 budget will be read before Parliament this afternoon. This budget comes at a time when most Kenyans are already overburdened by a high cost of living and high taxes, and are again forced to dig even deeper into their pockets to access ‘so-called’ public services such as healthcare and education.
Kenyans have, for the longest time, been appealing for the institution of progressive budget mechanisms that are pro-people. They have instead received tax-heavy and service-deficient budget mechanisms. Kongamano la Mapinduzi notes that the national budget as currently structured – and especially when read in conjunction with the Finance Bill and Appropriations Bill – is a criminal enterprise that benefits only a few individuals and corporations.
The 2025 Finance Bill, which is set to be presented before Parliament in a few days, is antipeople. Why is it anti-people? It is anti-people because it scraps VAT exemptions on essential commodities, including farm inputs. The scrapping of these VAT exemptions will increase the cost of production for farmers, and is likely to translate to higher food prices for the larger majority. it proposes a 5% agriculture tax on tea, coffee and avocado sales, which will additionally eat into the earnings of small-holder farmers who are already burdened by the new taxes on farm inputs – and only serves to further reduce disposable income at the household level.
The 2025 Finance Bill also increases the fuel levy – a move that will not only increase the cost of fuel but also resultantly effect an increase in the cost of electricity, manufacturing and transport. The bill further proposes 15% taxes on internet costs, and a neonatal tax – which is a tax on new born babies. Yes, Kenyans will now be taxed for giving birth. That is the blatant madness that we are everyday forced to confront.
Of fundamental concern to Kongamano la Mapinduzi is the fact that this increase in taxes has been accompanied by budget cuts in allocations toward social services like healthcare and education. The executive, meanwhile, continues to display an insatiable appetite for opulence and unnecessary spending – as evidenced by the recent renovations at State House, purchase of fuel guzzlers, inflated travel costs, among other unnecessary expenditures – all this despite the country facing a huge budget deficit of around 1 trillion shillings.
The police drove Albert Ojwang for over 300 kilometres to kill him. Baddies, this government is taxing us, then wastefully using our taxes to kill us. Dear baddies, the only difference between this 2025/2026 budget and a hangman’s noise is that one is made of sisal. Both can kill.
KLM takes this earliest opportunity to remind the broad-based government that it must live within its means. You cannot increase taxes on already-overtaxed Kenyans so as to finance your extravagant and opulent lifestyles – or to kill us.
At this particular moment, Parliament as an institution should be asserting its authority in defense of the people. Our Parliament is however, captured by the executive, and unable to effectively play its oversight and representative roles, or to simply stand up for what is right.
Earlier this week, the Budget and Appropriations Committee tabled final budget estimates for 2025/2026 before Parliament. These estimates recommended an increase in allocation of 150 million for the DCI to procure a system to track social media users. In total, the National Police Service budget could rise by 1.8 billion. They are budgeting to kill us.
The committee also reduced the allocation to the National Fund for the Disabled by 400 million. Allocation to the Teachers Service Commission has reduced by 570 million, with resources dedicated to the capacity building of teachers slashed by 620 million. Allocation to university education has been slashed by 920 million, secondary education slashed by 4 billion, and primary education slashed by 405 million. This is utter nonsense.
In light of the above, Kongamano la Mapinduzi rejects the 2025/2026 budget in its entirety -even before it is read this afternoon.
Way forward
Kongamano la Mapinduzi is aware that millions of Kenyans are concerned about recent national events and political occurrences at this particular moment, and that they are taking action in different shapes and forms. We are aware that there are a number of peaceful marches planned by baddies from across the country over the next few days.
We wish to bring two of these to public attention:
- There will be peaceful groups delivering a petition to the Central Police Station in Nairobi and to the office of the Inspector General of Police this afternoon regarding the murder of Albert Ojwang. We ask the police to accord respect to these just and righteous people-led processes by not starting violence.
- On Friday 13th June, the mother’s and families of those who we have lost since June last year will deliver a notice of protest to Central Police Station in Nairobi. We again ask the National Police Service to accord respect to this peaceful process, and facilitate where necessary.
Lastly,
Dear baddies, we have noticed an increase in the number of plain-clothed police officers and criminal elements who are infiltrating marches and protests with the intention of creating confusion, mayhem, and violence. We ask that all police come in uniform, and wish to emphasise that anything without uniform shall be treated as part of the criminal elements and networks that seek to delegitimise our just and righteous struggle for a better Kenya.
All power to the people!
Signed,
KLM Central Committee