Holly wood star, Lupita Nyong’o has weighed in on the recent events in the country with hard-hitting remarks condemning President William Ruto’s administration for its response to protests by the citizenry.
Lupita revisited the protests that rocked the country from June to August 2024 as Kenyans took to the streets to reject the Finance Bill 2024 and demand accountability in government.
Scores lost their lives with hundreds injured in the protests with police fingered for use of excessive force.
Goons also infiltrated the protests with several protesters also abducted by people who were later established to be police officers.
Government resorting to tactics I thought were left behind - Nyong'o on Ruto's regime
In a hard-hitting interview with BBC, Lupita compared the political climate under President William Ruto to the dark days under former President Daniel Moi where dissent was not tolerated, political disappearances were frequent and the misuse of police and other state institutions was rampant.
“It is chilling to know that this government is resorting to tactics I thought were left behind,” Lupita stated while drawing parallels between the current regime and the repressive era of former President Daniel Arap Moi.
Notably, Lupita was born in Mexico where her parents had sought asylum at the time, fleeing from political persecution under Moi who was the president at the time.
Lupita also delved into the disappearances witnessed under William Ruto’s regime and in the wake of the protests with some families still searching for their loved ones while others reunited with their families after spending days in captivity.
Abductions & Lupita Nyong'o family experience under Moi
The disappearances resonated with Lupita whose uncle mysteriously disappeared in the 1980s.
“We were not allowed to open the curtains, go to school, or keep any of his writings,” the actress noted in reference to the dark days when her family was under the radar of the Moi regime.
His family believes that he was killed due to his fierce activism against the repressive regime and his body has never been recovered.
“The more things change, the more they stay the same... I don’t know how this story ends,” Lupita remarked, reflecting on the uncertainty of Kenya’s democracy in light of the manner in which recent protests have been handled.
A number of human rights groups have also faulted President Ruto's regime for human rights violation and cracking down on unarmed protesters with concerns that the democratic space may be shrinking.