Kenya's Gen Z protests: Eight killed, medics say, as thousands march in Nairobi

BBC News

5 hours ago

At least eight people have been killed and 400 injured in nationwide protests in Kenya against President William Ruto's government, doctors and rights groups have said. Police clashed with protesters, who marched in their thousands - some chanting "Ruto must go" and waving branches as a symbol of peaceful opposition to his rule.The government banned live TV and radio coverage of the demonstrations, but its decree was overturned by the High Court in the capital, Nairobi. Ruto urged protesters not to threaten peace and stability, as crowds tried to reach his official residence but were pushed back by police.
The president was speaking at a burial ceremony in the coastal county of Kilifi."Protests should not be to destroy peace in Kenya. We do not have another country to go to when things go wrong. It is our responsibility to keep our country safe," he said.Ruto's absence from State House, his official residence, was notable as young protesters threatened to storm it.Why the death of a blogger has put Kenya's police on trialBBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protestersPolice used barricades and razor wire to seal off major roads - especially those leading to State House and parliament.The protests were held exactly a year after demonstrators stormed parliament, setting part of the building ablaze. At least 60 people were killed in a wave of anti-government protests last year. The authorities have not yet given any casualty figures from Wednesday's protests, but the Kenya Medical Association, Law Society of Kenya and the Police Reforms Working Group said in a joint statement that at least eight protesters were killed.Of the 400 injured, 83 required "specialised treatment" and eight had suffered gunshot wounds. The injured included three police officers, the statement added. Video footage showed plumes of white tear gas drifting between tall buildings, sending protesters scrambling for cover, coughing, and shielding their eyes. But they returned, chanting defiantly.In the heart of Nairobi, protesters marched pass shuttered shops and empty streets. The razor wire fencing around parliament stood as a stark reminder of last year's violent unrest.On Wednesday, the fence around parliament was lined with wreaths and handwritten notes from grieving families and defiant youths.A young woman draped in a Kenyan flag clutched a poster bearing the names of those killed a year ago by the security forces as they tried to end the protests.
More Kenya storied from the BBC:
El Chapo & Deputy Jesus - why Kenya's president has so many nicknamesFour Kenyan police officers charged over baby's killing as others freedNew faces of protest - Kenya's Gen Z anti-tax revolutionaries
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica