Kenya Barricades Parliament on Anniversary of Deadly Protest
Kenyan security forces blocked roads leading to parliament and the president's office in the capital as thousands of protesters gathered in the city center to mark the first anniversary of anti-government demonstrations in which dozens of people died.
Most businesses remained shut on Wednesday morning as police in riot gear backed by water cannons stood guard on key streets in Nairobi. Demonstrators in the western cities of Kisii and Nakuru chanted anti-government slogans, while marchers in the port city of Mombasa lit candles to commemorate the death of more than 60 people in last year's protests, when police used live bullets to disperse crowds.
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CNN
44 minutes ago
- CNN
Police fire teargas and water cannon at protesters in Kenya as thousands take to the streets
Kenyan police have fired teargas and water cannon to disperse protesters as thousands took to the streets to mark the one-year anniversary of anti-government demonstrations that left dozens dead. The government regulator, the Communications Authority of Kenya, has ordered all television and radio stations in the country to stop broadcasting live coverage of protests of the youth-led march, which began Wednesday. The government agency falsely claimed that live coverage of the demonstrations violated Kenyan laws, while threatening regulatory action for non-compliance with the directive. Many of the stations did not immediately cease broadcasting, including CNN affiliate Citizen TV. Thousands of people demonstrated in the capital, Nairobi, the coastal city of Mombasa, and other towns to mark the protest anniversary. In Nairobi, roads leading to the Kenyan Parliament building and the president's office were barricaded ahead of the demonstrations. Last June, many were killed by security forces outside Parliament, drawing nationwide outrage. The demonstrations in 2024 forced the withdrawal of a controversial finance bill that raised taxes. However, many of Kenya's youth are still enraged over several cases of alleged police brutality, including the death of a teacher in police custody and the shooting of an unarmed street vendor. CNN witnessed police shooting live rounds in Nairobi to disperse peaceful protesters on Wednesday. Several of the demonstrators showed spent cartridges. Demonstrators were also repelled with teargas and water cannon trucks in the capital – reminiscent of last year's dramatic scenes. Citizen TV posted a video on X showing injured individuals being wheeled into a Nairobi hospital. In Mombasa, some protesters were arrested and hauled into police trucks, another video showed. One person is reported to have been killed during demonstrations in eastern Kenya's Machakos County on Wednesday morning, according to Citizen TV. CNN could not immediately verify the casualty but has asked the police service for comment.
Associated Press
2 hours ago
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New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Kenyans Return to the Streets a Year After Deadly Tax Protests
Thousands of protesters marched across Kenya on Wednesday to mark a year since huge demonstrations against a contentious tax plan turned deadly and laid bare the growing anger at President William Ruto's government. The police fired tear gas at protesters who were waving Kenyan flags and blowing whistles in central Nairobi, where banks and businesses were shuttered amid a heavy security presence. Officers also closed some major roads leading to the city center and blocked routes leading to Parliament with barbed wire. In the coastal city of Mombasa, demonstrators carrying antigovernment placards gathered in the city center, according to witnesses and footage aired on local television. 'Many of us are being killed with no reason,' said Don Cliff Ochieng, a 24-year-old security guard in Nairobi who said that he was protesting because of the lack of economic opportunities and police brutality. 'It is our right to demonstrate,' he added. On Tuesday, Kenya's top police official, Douglas Kanja Kirocho, urged the public in a statement to 'refrain from provocative acts directed at police officers in the execution of their duties.' The protests come a year after tens of thousands of Kenyans took to the streets to challenge a proposed finance bill that many feared would increase the cost of living by raising taxes on everyday goods and services. Those demonstrations were largely mobilized by younger Kenyans who used social media platforms to rally against the plans. When members of Parliament approved the bill on June 25 last year, protesters clashed with the police in Nairobi, and some stormed the legislature, briefly setting its entrance on fire and forcing lawmakers to flee. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
