Human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has said President William Ruto should be tried at the International Criminal Court for overseeing the “massacre” of peaceful protesters.

 “Ruto has overseen a planned and executable massacre against peaceful protesters who came out across the country to protest the punitive Finance Bill, 2024,” Amnesty International said in a statement on Wednesday, noting that Kenyan police killed 23, injured 300 and abducted 22 protesters.

It added “These shootings, killings and abductions constitute crimes against humanity, making Kenya’s President, Ruto, yet again, a candidate for the International Criminal Court.  In Ruto’s address to the nation last night, he referred to the protests as treasonous acts. We want to clarify that it’s not protests and protesters who are treasonous. It is Ruto’s actions that are treasonous, as demonstrated by his failure to listen to the public’s grievances, illegal deployment of the military and the use of snipers to shoot, maim and kill unarmed protesters, among others.’’

The human rights organisation accused Mr Ruto of “fuelling” massacre by his inciteful broadcast which labelled the protest “treasonous events” and illegally deployed Kenya Defence Forces to quell the protests.

“We believe that the massacre that happened in Githurai was fuelled by an inciteful and insensitive address President William Ruto gave yesterday at State House. Ruto spoke at 9 p.m and threatened Kenyans, and the massacre started at 10 p.m.

“The killings were further exacerbated by the deployment of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF)—an illegal deployment per Article 241 (2, c) of Kenya’s Constitution, which requires the National Assembly first to approve such deployment,” Amnesty International said.

Nationwide protests against the Finance Bill which proposes imposition of tax on cars, phones, bread, sanitary pads and other commodities started out peacefully last week as citizens hit the streets with placards. It, however, turned bloody as police opened live bullets on protesters in Nairobi to quell the demonstrations on Tuesday.

On Tuesday night, Mr Ruto in a live broadcast labelled anti-tax protest “treasonous events,” thanking “security officers for applying themselves to the best of their abilities in the defence of Kenya and its people,” while ignoring their killings.

A few hours after Mr Ruto’s broadcast, Aden Bare Duale, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for defence, announced military deployment to support the police in crushing protesters.

While protesters remained on streets defying police brutal clampdown on Wednesday, Mr Ruto refused assenting the controversial bill, announcing its withdrawal to placate citizens. 

“Listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this Finance Bill 2024, I concede and therefore I will not sign the 2024 Finance Bill and it shall subsequently be withdrawn,” Mr Ruto said in a live broadcast on Wednesday.  

Despite Mr Ruto’s withdrawal of the Finance Bill on Wednesday, Kenyans have mobilised for a one million people march to shutdown the country on Thursday. 

The United State of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Belgium and others in a joint statement expressed concerns over Tuesday’s killing of protesters by Kenyan police.

To settle Kenya’s debt estimated to be about $80 billon and reduce borrowings, Mr Ruto has imposed taxes since he assumed office in 2022. The controversial Finance Bill sparked protests across the country.