Photos: Kenyan police shoot bystander at close range during latest protests
Security forces and hundreds of men armed with whips and clubs clashed with protesters in Kenya, with a police officer's shooting of an unarmed bystander triggering widespread anger.
Tensions were already high in the East African country as it marked a year since massive Gen Z-led protests over the state of the economy, and the latest demonstrations were sparked by the death of a man in police custody earlier this month.
In Nairobi's business district, the epicentre of last year's demonstrations, small groups of protesters gathered on Tuesday, initially peacefully, to call for an end to police brutality.
But they were quickly attacked by hundreds of men on motorbikes, known in Kenya as 'goons', armed with makeshift weapons.
As shop owners hastily closed their businesses, police actively protected the armed men and fired tear gas at protesters, who responded by throwing stones and burning at least two of their motorbikes.
There was outrage after videos circulated of a police officer shooting a bystander at point-blank range in the head.
The man, who had been selling face masks, was still alive despite the severe injury.
'We handed him over to Kenyatta National Hospital, and he was taken to the ICU. He was very critical. He was still breathing,' said Vincent Ochieng, a disaster recovery officer for the Kenya Red Cross.
While the police did not directly deny any cooperation with the armed 'goons', it said in a statement it 'does not condone such unlawful groupings'.
It also said the officer who shot the man in the head 'using an anti-riot shotgun' had been arrested.
The government had been eager to avoid unrest this year, with its latest finance bill avoiding the tax rises that led to weeks of protests in June and July 2024.
But people have taken to the streets over the death of 31-year-old teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody earlier this month.
Protesters are demanding the resignation of a senior officer they blame for the death.
Last year's protests peaked when thousands stormed Parliament on 25 June, where MPs were debating the unpopular finance bill.
Rights groups say at least 60 people were killed during the protests in June and July 2024, and dozens more were illegally detained by security forces in the aftermath.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
7 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Kenyan police shoot bystander at close range during latest protests
Security forces and hundreds of men armed with whips and clubs clashed with protesters in Kenya, with a police officer's shooting of an unarmed bystander triggering widespread anger. Tensions were already high in the East African country as it marked a year since massive Gen Z-led protests over the state of the economy, and the latest demonstrations were sparked by the death of a man in police custody earlier this month. In Nairobi's business district, the epicentre of last year's demonstrations, small groups of protesters gathered on Tuesday, initially peacefully, to call for an end to police brutality. But they were quickly attacked by hundreds of men on motorbikes, known in Kenya as 'goons', armed with makeshift weapons. As shop owners hastily closed their businesses, police actively protected the armed men and fired tear gas at protesters, who responded by throwing stones and burning at least two of their motorbikes. There was outrage after videos circulated of a police officer shooting a bystander at point-blank range in the head. The man, who had been selling face masks, was still alive despite the severe injury. 'We handed him over to Kenyatta National Hospital, and he was taken to the ICU. He was very critical. He was still breathing,' said Vincent Ochieng, a disaster recovery officer for the Kenya Red Cross. While the police did not directly deny any cooperation with the armed 'goons', it said in a statement it 'does not condone such unlawful groupings'. It also said the officer who shot the man in the head 'using an anti-riot shotgun' had been arrested. The government had been eager to avoid unrest this year, with its latest finance bill avoiding the tax rises that led to weeks of protests in June and July 2024. But people have taken to the streets over the death of 31-year-old teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody earlier this month. Protesters are demanding the resignation of a senior officer they blame for the death. Last year's protests peaked when thousands stormed Parliament on 25 June, where MPs were debating the unpopular finance bill. Rights groups say at least 60 people were killed during the protests in June and July 2024, and dozens more were illegally detained by security forces in the aftermath.
Al Jazeera
13 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
The Take: Why US troops are concerned about Trump's deployment
US President Donald Trump has deployed hundreds of troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against immigration raids. It's been widely considered to be an illegal deployment. Meanwhile, hotlines to support service members have been seeing an uptick in complaints and questions. What happens when those in uniform are ordered to confront the very people they swore to protect? In this episode: Episode credits: This episode was produced by Amy Walters, Sonia Bhagat, and Chloe K. Li with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, and our guest host, Manny Rapalo. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and Noor Wazwaz. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editor is Hisham Abu Salah. Alexandra Locke is the Take's executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
One killed in clashes as Kenyans protest death of blogger in police custody
Hundreds of men on motorbikes, armed with whips and clubs, have attacked protesters in downtown Nairobi while they were demonstrating against alleged extrajudicial killings, following the death of a blogger in police custody. One person was killed on Tuesday as the assailants violently attacked and dispersed the demonstrators. A Reuters journalist saw the man's body on the ground with a bleeding head wound. But it was not clear how he had died or who the man was. The swarm of men on motorbikes could be heard shouting 'No protest' in footage shared by local broadcaster NTV. Amnesty International's Kenya chapter condemned the attack, writing on X that the 'use of militia will escalate confrontation, lawlessness and chaos'. The incident came more than a week after the death of Albert Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and blogger. He died just two days after being arrested in the town of Homa Bay in western Kenya for allegedly criticising Eliud Lagat, the country's deputy police chief. A Kenyan police officer has been arrested in connection with Ojwang's death. The protests caused by his death reflect a wider concern about police violence. Rights groups say more than 60 people were killed by security forces last year during demonstrations in June and July against a controversial financial bill that would have increased taxes. Speaking about the clashes on Tuesday, which also saw police fire tear gas at protesters, Ndungi Githuku, of the civil rights group Kongamano La Mapinduzi, said Kenya was turning into 'a lawless country'. 'We see hundreds of paid goons, with whips and weapons, crude weapons, coming to brutalise our people,' he said. One of the demonstrators, Hanifa Adan, who was a leading voice in last year's Gen Z-led protests, told AFP that the men on motorbikes had 'overwhelmed' her and others. 'They cornered us and beat us with whips and the police were just watching them do it,' she said. Demonstrations were also held on Tuesday in Kenya's second-largest city Mombasa, with the crowd holding placards saying 'Stop killing us'. Public anger grew after an autopsy revealed that Ojwang had not fatally injured himself by banging his head against a cell wall, as the Kenyan police had originally claimed. The government's pathologist found that his injuries, which included blunt force trauma, were 'unlikely to be self-inflicted'. Kenyan President William Ruto admitted on Friday that Ojwang had died 'at the hands of the police', calling his death 'heartbreaking and unacceptable'. The country's leader promised to 'protect citizens from rogue police officers'. In the past four months, more than 20 people have died in police custody in Kenya, according to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). As part of the investigation into Ojwang's death, two senior police officers and a civilian have so far been arrested. Lagat, the deputy police chief, announced on Monday that he was temporarily stepping down from his role.
