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The crisis is on the now withdrawn Finance bill which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.