APRA Condoles with Kenyans, Stands in Solidarity with PRSK

The executive council and members of the African Public Relations Association (APRA) have expressed their condolences to the people of Kenya over the ongoing crisis at the Eastern African country.

In a press statement signed by its Secretary-General, Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan and made available to Brand Communicator, the association urged the government of Kenya to put the people of Kenya first and in a show of conversational capacity as already indicated by the Presidency, under take stakeholder consultations with empathy and openness to reconciliation.

The statement in part further reads, “We commiserate with the families of those who died and wish a speedy recovery to those injured during the protests. We fervently pray for the repose of the souls of the deceased.”

The association also said it stands in solidarity with its PR colleagues in the region: “We stand in solidarity with our colleagues in the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK).”

The crisis is on the now withdrawn Finance bill which proposes a tax increase, and had been passed after a third and final reading. Last Tuesday, Kenyans started staging what has now become a dramatic protest in Nairobi, aiming to stop the bill from passing into law.

President of Kenya, William Ruto called the protests “treasonous” and suggested the popular campaign against tax increases had been “hijacked by dangerous people”. It was reported that Kenyan police fired live ammunition at hundreds of protesters attempting to breach Parliament House in Nairobi on Tuesday, leading to several deaths and injuries, as protests against controversial tax reforms turned violent.

On Wednesday, the Kenya Human Rights Commission said 23 people were killed across the country in the violence that escalated after lawmakers passed the contested bill after a third and final reading. The Commission said it recorded 50 arrests, 22 abductions and over 300 injuries.

June 27, 2024