Kenyan police fire teargas, water cannons on anniversary of pro-democracy protests
Activists rally every year on July 7 to mark the date in 1990 when opponents of then-president Daniel Arap Moi launched a bid to transform the country into a multiparty democracy. The protest is called 'Saba Saba' ('seven seven' in Kiswahili) because of the date.
Authorities have ramped up police deployments in Nairobi since youth-led protests in June 2024 that initially focused on tax hikes but expanded to cover issues such as graft, police brutality and unexplained disappearances of government critics.
A Reuters witness saw police use teargas and water cannons on Monday to disperse crowds along a key artery in Nairobi as hundreds of demonstrators advanced, with some blowing whistles while they marched.
Police had earlier blocked major roads leading into Nairobi and heavily restricted vehicle traffic within the city, leaving streets deserted but for the demonstrators, who turned up on foot. Most schools and at least one shopping mall were shut in anticipation of possible trouble.
'We are not ready to go back (home) because who will fight for our rights? We will be here until evening,' said Francis Waswa, a construction worker.
Interior minister Kipchumba Murkomen, who last month described the protests as 'terrorism disguised as dissent', said on his X account on Sunday the government was committed to protecting life and property.
'Our security agencies are on high alert to deal decisively with criminals and other elements of ill intent who may seek to infiltrate peaceful processions to cause havoc, mayhem or destruction of property,' he said.
Unidentified people forced their way into the offices of the nonprofit Kenya Human Rights Commission on Sunday to stop a press conference ahead of Monday's protests.
At least one person, a board member, was injured, said Ernest Cornel, who works at the commission.
Police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The death of Albert Ojwang, a teacher and blogger, in police custody in June gave fresh impetus to public protests. The government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reported 19 deaths nationwide during demonstrations on June 25.
Prosecutors approved murder charges against six people, including three police officers, over Ojwang's death. All six suspects pleaded not guilty.
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The South African
12 minutes ago
- The South African
Kenya unrest: Police clash with protesters in capital
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eNCA
an hour ago
- eNCA
Clashes on Nairobi outskirts as police block marchers
Police blocked roads in a show of force to deter anti-government marchers from the deserted streets of Kenya's usually bustling capital on Monday, with small groups of protesters clashing with officers on Nairobi's outskirts. Many people appeared to be staying home rather than attend the annual so-called Saba Saba Day, meaning Seven Seven, marches to commemorate July 7, 1990 when Kenyans rose up to demand a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi. From around midday, AFP saw running battles with groups of anti-riot police who fired teargas at small gatherings, with some of the crowd throwing rocks at officers and engaging in destructive looting. Young Kenyans, frustrated over economic stagnation, corruption and police brutality, are once again engaging in protests that last month degenerated into looting and violence, leaving dozens dead and thousands of businesses destroyed. Protesters accuse the authorities of paying armed vandals to discredit their movement, while the government has compared the demonstrations to an "attempted coup". On Monday, the streets of central Nairobi were quiet after police mounted roadblocks on the main roads, restricting entry to areas that were the epicentre of previous rallies. Many businesses were closed for the day. "I have never witnessed the city centre like this," security guard Edmond Khayimba, 29, told AFP. While the centre remained deserted, groups gathered on the outskirts in the afternoon with AFP reporters witnessing two people wounded, as well as looting and vandalism. Protesters on a major highway clashed with police blocking their entry into the city, with the small crowds chanting: "Ruto Must Go", a popular rallying cry against President William Ruto, and "wantam" meaning "one term". Again, AFP saw looting and property destruction in the surrounding area. With much of Nairobi at a standstill, an interactive map showing at least 20 suspected police roadblocks was shared online and through WhatsApp groups. Local TV stations also showed gatherings, some violent, in several towns across the country. - 'Ruto Must Go' - Social media and rising economic expectations have fanned anger over inequalities in a country where around 80 percent are trapped in informal, poorly paid jobs. AFP | Luis TATO But a crackdown by the police -- at least 80 people have died in protests since June last year while dozens have been detained illegally -- has scared many off the streets. On Sunday, men, some armed with sticks, forced their way into the compound of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission during a press conference calling for an end to "enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings". Nairobi motorbike driver Rogers Onsomu, 32, told AFP that while the town was deserted, he hoped demonstrators would come out later, and criticised Ruto's government. "What he has promised the country, (he) is not delivering," Onsomu said. "The youths are protesting because of many things, like healthcare." "As the constitution say, the power belongs to people," he said. "So this slogan of 'Ruto Must Go'. We will not relent and we will keep it going each and every day." - 'The world is different' - Since being elected in 2022, Ruto has forged an uneasy alliance with the main opposition leader Raila Odinga, leaving no clear challenger ahead of the next vote in 2027. But each violent crackdown fuels further unrest, said activist Nerima Wako. "Every time people organise a protest, they kill more people, so it just continues to feed off itself," she said. AFP | Eden EZRA Police made hundreds of arrests. Gabrielle Lynch, an African politics expert at Britain's University of Warwick, said the government appeared to be recycling tactics from the 1990s. "But we're not in the nineties," she said. "They don't seem to have realised the world is different."
