Kenya police boss resigns amid backlash over protests handling

President William Ruto announces the resignation of Japheth Koome as Inspector General of Police. Kenya's police boss, Japheth Koome, has resigned amid criticism over police response to recent anti-government protests that left over 30 people dead. In a statement, President William Ruto announced he had accepted Koome's resignation as Inspector General of the National Police Service and appointed his deputy, Douglas Kanja, in an acting capacity with immediate effect. It comes a day after Ruto sacked nearly his entire cabinet , bowing to the demands of protesters. Human rights groups, including the state-backed watchdog, have accused police of excessive use of force against protesters, including firing of live bullets at crowds. Ruto previously said investigations will be conducted to determine the police's culpability to the deaths. The youth-led protests against planned tax hikes started off last month. Some demonstrators briefly stormed parliament, before Ruto abandoned the new taxes. ➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.