Ten killed in Kenya as protesters clash with police
A further 29 people were injured, the Kenya National Commission added.
Some Kenyans have for weeks been protesting police brutality, poor governance and the high cost of living, while demanding President William Ruto's resignation.
Authorities today blocked major roads leading to the capital, Nairobi, in the strictest measures yet to contain the unrest, which saw protesters light bonfires and throw stones at police.
Officers fired and hurled tear gas canisters, injuring demonstrators. One young man being carried away, with his shirt drenched in blood, said he had been shot.
A reporter for Reuters news agency said they saw one man lying motionless on the road with a bleeding wound after police fired at advancing protesters in the Nairobi suburb of Kangemi.
As well as blocking vehicles from accessing Nairobi's city centre, police also stopped most pedestrians unless they were deemed to have essential duties.
Protests were recorded across 17 of Kenya's 47 counties, the Kenya National Commission said.
In Kenya, 7 July is known as Saba Saba, which is Swahili for Seven Seven.
It's a significant date in Kenya 's history and marks the anniversary of the first major protests 35 years ago.
Those demonstrations called on then-President Daniel arap Moi - Mr Ruto's mentor - for a transition from a one-party state to a multiparty democracy. This change was realised in the 1992 elections.
A professor of history and international relations at United States International University Africa in Nairobi said there is "no reversing the Gen Z Saba Saba-like spirit".
Macharia Munene said: "Attempt to criminalise protests is reactive and will not work.
"It instead makes the government appear retrogressive and desperate enough to subvert the constitution."
Kenya's interior minister Kipchumba Murkomen said on Sunday that the government would not tolerate violent protests and police would be deployed to ensure public safety.
Last month, he told police to "shoot on sight" anyone who approaches police stations during protests, after several were burned.
Kenya's latest wave of demonstrations was sparked by calls for police accountability after the death of a blogger in police custody last month.
A police officer then shot a civilian at close range during a protest on 17 June, further angering the public.
On 25 June, at least 19 people were killed during demonstrations against police brutality that were held to mark the one-year anniversary of anti-tax protests.
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BBC News
13 hours ago
- BBC News
Secret filming expose 'madams' involved for Kenya child-sex trade
One BBC Africa Eye investigation don expose how women, wey dey known as "madams", don chook children as young as 13 into prostitution for Kenya. For di transit town of Maai Mahiu, for Kenya Rift Valley, trucks and lorries dey waka di streets day and night dey transport goods and pipo across di kontri into Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, plus di Democratic Republic of Congo. Di key transport hub, wey be just 50km (31 miles) east of di capital, Nairobi, dey known for prostitution, but na also breeding ground for child sexual abuse. Two undercover investigators, wey pose as sex workers wey wan learn how to become madams, bin spend months earlier dis year penetrating di sex trade for di town. Dia secret filming reveal two different women wey tok say dem know say e dey illegal and dem introduce di investigators to underage girls for di sex industry. Di BBC bin give all dia evidence to di Kenyan police for March. Di BBC believe say di madam don move location since den. Di police say dem no fit trace di women and young girls we feem. To date, dem neva make any arrests. To declare pesin guilty dey rare for Kenya. For successful prosecutions, police need testimonies from children. Often vulnerable minors wey dey too afraid to testify. BBC small-small footage wey dem feem for di street in di dark bin show one woman, wey call herself Nyambura, she dey laugh as she say: "Dem still be children, so e dey easy to manipulate dem wit just sweets." "Prostitution na cash crop for Maai Mahiu; di truckers basically dey ginger am. And dat na how we benefit. Dem don normalise am for Maai Mahiu," she explain, and add say she get one girl as young as 13, wey already don dey "work" for six months. "E become very risky wen you dey deal wit minors. You no fit just bring dem out openly in town. I dey only sneak dem comot at night in great secrecy," Nyambura tok. Di act of prostitution by consenting adult no be criminal offence under Kenyan national law but many municipal by-laws don ban am. E no dey banned for Maai Mahiu, wey be part of Nakuru county. Under di penal code, e dey illegal to live from di profit of prostitution, either as a sex worker or third party wey dey facilitate or profit from prostitution. Di trafficking or sale of minors under di age of 18 carry prison sentence wey range from 10 years to life. Wen dem ask Nyambura weda di clients dey wear condoms, she say she dey usually make sure say dem use protection but some still get strong head. "Some children wan earn more money [so dem no go use am]. Dem dey force some of dem [not to use condom]," she tok. For anoda meeting, she bin lead di undercover investigator go one house wia three young girls sidon on top one chair, anoda one sidon on one hard-backed chair. Nyambura later comot di room, wey give investigator opportunity to follow di girls tok alone. Di girls describe say dem face sexual abuse repeatedly on a daily basis. "Sometimes you fit have sex wit multiple pipo. Di clients go force you to do unimaginable tins," one of di girls tok. No recent statistics dey ground on di number of children wey dey forced to work for Kenya sex industry. For 2012, di US State Department Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Kenya bin cite estimate of 30,000, one figure dem get from Kenyan govment and now defunct non-governmental organisation (NGO), Eradicate Child Prostitution for Kenya. Oda studies focus on specific areas, especially along di kontri coast – wey dey known for dia tourist resorts. One 2022 report for di NGO Global Fund to End Modern Slavery reveal say dem dey force almost 2,500 children into sex work for Kilifi and Kwale counties. One second undercover investigator bin gain di trust of one woman wey call herself Cheptoo and e hold plenty meetings wit her. She say selling young girls mean say she fit "earn a living and be comfortable". "You carry out dis kind of business in great secrecy becos e dey illegal," she tok. "If anyone tok say dem want young girl, I go ask dem to pay me. We also get our regulars who dey always come back for dem." Cheptoo carry di undercover investigator go one club to meet four of her girls. Di youngest tok say she be 13 years old. Di odas say dem be 15. She tok about di profit she dey make from dem, she say for every 3,000 Kenyan shillings ($23; £17) di girls dey deliver, her share na 2,500 shillings ($19; £14). For anoda meeting, for one house for Maai Mahiu, Cheptoo leave di undercover investigator alone wit two underage girls. One of dem tell her say on average, she dey have sex wit five men a day. Wen dem ask wetin go happun if she no gree to have sex without condom, she say she no get choice. "I have to [have sex without a condom]. Dem go drive me comot, and I no get anywia to run to. I be orphan." Kenya sex industry dey complex, na dark world wia both men and women get hand in facilitating child prostitution. E no dey clear how many children dey forced into sex work for Maai Mahiu, but for dis small town of around 50,000, pipo e dey easy to find dem. One former sex worker, wey pipo sabi as "Baby Girl", now dey provide protection for Maai Mahiu for girls wey escape sexual abuse. Di 61-year-old bin work for di sex industry for 40 years – she bin first see herself on di streets in her early twenties. She bin dey pregnant and she get three young children wit her afta she run leave her husband sake of domestic violence. For her wooden kitchen table for one bright parlour for di front of her house, she introduce BBC to four young women wey all of dem dey forced into sex work by madams for Maai Mahiu wen dem be children. Each girl share similar stories of broken families or abuse at home – dem come to Maai Mahiu to escape, only to dey violently abused again. Michelle describe how, at 12 years old, she lost her parents to HIV and dem drive her to di streets wia she meet one man who give her somewhere to live and begin dey sexually abuse her. "I literally get to pay am in kind for educating me. I reach my limit, but I no get anybody," she tok. Two years later, one woman wey turn out to be a madam for Maai Mahiu bin approach her and force her into sex work.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Kenya's child sex trade: BBC Africa Eye's secret filming exposes the 'madams' of Maai Mahiu
A BBC Africa Eye investigation has revealed how women, known as "madams", have involved children as young as 13 in prostitution in the transit town of Maai Mahiu, in Kenya's Rift Valley, trucks and lorries pound the streets day and night transporting goods and people across the country into Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of key transport hub, just 50km (31 miles) east of the capital, Nairobi, is known for prostitution, but it is also a breeding ground for child sexual undercover investigators, posing as sex workers wanting to learn how to become madams, spent months earlier this year infiltrating the sex trade in the secret filming reveals two different women who say they know it is illegal and then introduce the investigators to underage girls in the sex BBC gave all its evidence to the Kenyan police in March. The BBC believes the madams have moved location since then. The police said the women and young girls we filmed could not be traced. To date there have been no are rare in Kenya. For successful prosecutions, police need testimonies from children. Often vulnerable minors are too afraid to BBC's grainy footage filmed on the street in the dark showed one woman, who calls herself Nyambura, laughing as she says: "They're still children, so it's easy to manipulate them by just handing them sweets." "Prostitution is a cash crop in Maai Mahiu; the truckers basically fuel it. And that's how we benefit. It's been normalised in Maai Mahiu," she explained, adding that she had one girl as young as 13, who had already been "working" for six months."It becomes very risky when you're dealing with minors. You can't just bring them out openly in town. I only sneak them out at night in great secrecy," Nyambura act of prostitution by a consenting adult is not explicitly criminalised under Kenyan national law but it is banned by many municipal by-laws. It is not banned in Maai Mahiu, which is part of Nakuru the penal code it is illegal to live from the earnings of prostitution, either as a sex worker or third party facilitating or profiting from trafficking or sale of minors under the age of 18 carries a prison sentence ranging from 10 years to asked whether the clients wear condoms, Nyambura said she usually made sure they had protection but the odd one did not."Some children want to earn more [so don't use them]. Some are forced [not to use them]," she another meeting, she led the undercover investigator to a house where three young girls sat huddled on a sofa, another on a hard-backed then left the room, giving the investigator an opportunity to speak to the girls described being repeatedly abused for sex, on a daily basis."Sometimes you have sex with multiple people. The clients force you to do unimaginable things," said one of the girls. There are no recent statistics on the number of children forced to work in Kenya's sex industry. In 2012, the US State Department Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Kenya cited an estimate of 30,000, a figure derived from the Kenyan government and now defunct non-governmental organisation (NGO), Eradicate Child Prostitution in studies have focused on specific areas, especially along the country's coast - known for its tourist resorts. A 2022 report for the NGO Global Fund to End Modern Slavery found almost 2,500 children were forced into sex work in Kilifi and Kwale counties.A second undercover investigator gained the trust of a woman who called herself Cheptoo and had multiple meetings with said selling young girls meant she could "earn a living and be comfortable"."You carry out this kind of business in great secrecy because it is illegal," she said."If anyone says they want a young girl, I ask them to pay me. We also have our regulars who always come back for them."Cheptoo took the undercover investigator to a club to meet four of her girls. The youngest said she was 13 years old. The others said they were opened up about the profit she makes from them, saying for every 3,000 Kenyan shillings ($23; £17) the girls deliver, her share was 2,500 shillings ($19; £14).At another meeting, in a house in Maai Mahiu, Cheptoo left the undercover investigator alone with two underage of them told her she had, on average, sex with five men a asked what happened if she refused to have sex without a condom, she said she had no choice."I have to [have sex without a condom]. I will be chased away, and I have nowhere to run to. I am an orphan." People outside the UK can watch here Kenya's sex industry is a complex, murky world where both men and women are involved in facilitating child is not known how many children are forced into sex work in Maai Mahiu, but in this small town of around 50,000 people it is easy to find them.A former sex worker, known as "Baby Girl", now provides refuge in Maai Mahiu for girls who have escaped sexual 61-year-old worked in the sex industry for 40 years - first finding herself on the streets in her early twenties. She was pregnant and had her three young children with her after fleeing her husband because of domestic her wooden kitchen table in a bright parlour at the front of her house, she introduced the BBC to four young women who were all forced into sex work by madams in Maai Mahiu when they were girl shared similar stories of broken families or abuse at home - they came to Maai Mahiu to escape, only to be violently abused described how, at 12 years old, she lost her parents to HIV and was evicted on to the streets where she met a man who gave her somewhere to live and began sexually abusing her."I literally had to pay him in kind for educating me. I reached my limit, but I had no-one," she years later, she was approached by a woman who turned out to be a madam in Maai Mahiu and forced her into sex work. Lilian, who is now 19, also lost her parents at a very young age. She was left with an uncle who filmed her in the shower and sold the images to his friends. The voyeurism soon turned into rape."That was my worst day. I was 12 then."When she escaped, she was raped again by a truck driver who took her to Maai Mahiu. It was here, like Michelle, where she was approached by a woman who forced her into sex young women's short lives have been fuelled by violence, neglect and housed by Baby Girl, they are learning new skills - two in a photography studio and two in a beauty also assist Baby Girl with her outreach work in the county has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in Kenya, and Baby Girl, supported by US aid agency USAID, is on a mission to educate people about the risks of unprotected has an office at Karagita Community Health Centre, near Lake Naivasha, where she works providing condoms and with US President Donald Trump's decision to pull USAID funding, her outreach programmes are about to stop. "From September we will be unemployed," she told the BBC World Service, adding how worried she was about the young women and girls who depend on her."You see how vulnerable these children are. How would they survive on their own? They are still healing."The US government did not respond to comments in this investigation about the likely impact of its funding cuts. USAID officially closed last now, Lilian is focused on learning photography and recovering from abuse."I am not afraid any more, because Baby Girl is there for me," she said. "She is helping us bury the past." More from BBC Africa Eye: Caught in the crossfire - the victims of Cape Town's gang warfare'They aimed to kill' - BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protestersSudan's years of war - BBC smuggles in phones to reveal hunger and fear'Terrible things happened' - inside TB Joshua's church of horrorsHow a Malawi WhatsApp group helped save women trafficked to Oman Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Dining across the divide: ‘Wait a minute, you vote Reform and you read the Guardian?'
Occupation Engineering manager Voting record Generally a small-c conservative, has voted Tory in every election but 2024, when he voted Reform as a protest against the Conservative government. Doesn't see himself voting Reform in 2029 Amuse bouche Buys individual pieces of Lego to make his own creations. For his 30th birthday, his fiancee bought him the makings of a 3ft wingspan Tiger Moth biplane Occupation Retired maths teacher Voting record Labour or Lib Dem – whoever is most likely to beat the Tories Amuse bouche Spent seven years teaching in Africa, first in Kenya, then in Malawi Bernard He was very young, very smartly dressed. I wasn't scruffy, but I didn't have his polish. A nice guy; a bit diffident to start with, but we both were, really. It's a strange situation. Once we got talking, we got on fine. Michael He seemed welcoming, more than warm. Bernard I had buffalo chicken wings, followed by haddock, followed by a fantastic sticky toffee pudding. Perhaps I overdid it a bit. Michael I had pork belly to start, and then a Portuguese beef stew. Bernard We both agreed that we had to get away from fossil fuels, but his solution is nuclear. If there is an accident, they tend to be disastrous accidents – he had all kinds of arguments for why Chornobyl couldn't happen here, but even Sellafield in the early years, leaking radioactive water into the Irish Sea, was awful. Michael We should be pushing hard for nuclear, whereas Bernard leaned heavily into renewables. My reasons are the reliability of nuclear, the compactness. It's unfair to judge nuclear on Chornobyl. The causes of that disaster were largely unqualified people and political interference, rather than science. It was the politicians running it, not the engineers. Bernard The cost of Hinkley Point is immense. The French are building it, aren't they? He thinks the reason why that's happening is because the red tape in this country is so terrible. And what do you do with the waste? You bury it. But you've haven't got rid of it, you've just left it for future generations. Michael My response to the half-life issue, which he raised, is that we take very diffuse radioactive material and concentrate it – so it's not like we're creating this deadly thing; it's a natural element, or minerals rather, that's been concentrated. So it's a long problem but it's not a big problem. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Bernard I think Brexit is a done deal and I'm pretty sure that it won't be reversed any time soon. Although I was furious about it, I do tend to think: what can we do? It's like being really cross there was an earthquake. Michael We voted opposite ways but agreed that it was time to move on. It wouldn't have happened this way were I dictator and in charge of everything, and I'm not particularly happy with the results, but we live in a democracy and you've got to accept compromise. Bernard We both felt there should be more consensus in politics. PMQs is a bit of a joke: it doesn't mean anything – it's like a tennis match. If you can make a select committee work, where people from all political parties manage to meet and agree on things, why can't you make law like that? Michael Towards the end of the evening, he mentioned Wes Streeting's new plan for the NHS. It's nice that it's a 10-year plan and is supported by the shadow health secretary. So that's almost a glimmer of hope against the normal discourse of A says this and B says, 'That's bad because A said it.' If both sides say it's a good thing, then it's probably a good thing. Bernard I certainly had an enjoyable evening. I don't think I made a friend, in so far as he's half my age. I said to him, 'Wait a minute, you vote Reform, and you read the Guardian?' It turned out his fiancee is a teacher and she encouraged him to do it. Michael We walked out of the restaurant together, chatted as we walked down the street. We didn't exchange numbers; I'll never see him again, but I very much enjoyed talking to somebody I'd never normally have crossed paths with. I almost felt guilty about how much I enjoyed it. Additional reporting: Kitty Drake Bernard and Michael ate at The Chapter House in Salisbury. Want to meet someone from across the divide? Find out how to take part
