Latest news with #KenyanHumanRightsCommission
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Armed gang attacks Kenya Human Rights Commission on eve of protests
An armed gang attacked the headquarters of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission on Sunday as it hosted a press conference calling for an end to state violence, an AFP journalist saw. The attack came on the eve of "Saba Saba Day" when Kenyans mark pro-democracy protests from the 1990s, and renewed unrest is expected on Monday. The east African country is once again facing a wave of violent protests over economic stagnation, corruption and repeated acts of police brutality under President William Ruto. The Kenyan Human Rights Commission was hosting a press conference calling for "an immediate end to arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings" when it was attacked by 20 men, some armed with sticks. "The gate was locked but they forced themselves in. They were attacking and robbing guys, saying: 'You are planning protests here'," said an AFP journalist at the scene. "Armed goons have attacked offices of the Kenya Human Rights Commission," the Women's Collective, which helped organise the meeting, posted on X. At least 19 people were killed and thousands of businesses looted and destroyed in a day of nationwide protests on June 25. The government has been accused of deploying "goons" against protesters and political opponents. Hundreds of men on motorbikes armed with whips and clubs attacked a protest against police brutality in Nairobi on June 17. AFP journalists at the scene said they were operating with the protection of police. - 'Kenya feels fragile' - Urbanisation, improved education and the spread of social media have fuelled anger over the stagnant economy and poor governance in a country where around 80 percent are trapped in informal, poorly paid jobs. "Kenya feels much more fragile than it would have four or even three years ago," said Declan Galvin, Kenya-based analyst with Exigent Risk Advisory. "We have a much larger, urban, mainly youth population, who do not rely on ethnicity and tribalism" as they did in the past, he told AFP. Politically, Ruto still holds a strong position, having forged an alliance with the main opposition leader Raila Odinga, leaving no clear challenger ahead of the next vote in 2027. But each violent crackdown is fuelling 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. Saba Saba Day marks the uprising on July 7, 1990 when Kenyans demanded a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi. Ruto cut his teeth as a youth organiser for Moi when those protests were violently suppressed. His government "seems to be trying to repeat the nineties, but we are not in the nineties," said Gabrielle Lynch, an African politics expert at Britain's University of Warwick. "They don't seem to have realised that the world is different. People are more politically aware, but also the communication environment has dramatically changed with the rise of social media," she added. "People don't have the same in-built fear of the state." bur-er/cw
eNCA
12 hours ago
- Politics
- eNCA
Armed gang attacks Kenya Human Rights Commission on eve of protests
NAIROBI - An armed gang attacked the headquarters of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission on Sunday as it hosted a press conference calling for an end to state violence, an AFP journalist saw. The attack came on the eve of "Saba Saba Day" when Kenyans mark pro-democracy protests from the 1990s, and renewed unrest is expected on Monday. The east African country is once again facing a wave of violent protests over economic stagnation, corruption and repeated acts of police brutality under President William Ruto. The Kenyan Human Rights Commission was hosting a press conference calling for "an immediate end to arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings" when it was attacked by 20 men, some armed with sticks. "The gate was locked but they forced themselves in. They were attacking and robbing guys, saying: 'You are planning protests here'," said an AFP journalist at the scene. "Armed goons have attacked offices of the Kenya Human Rights Commission," the Women's Collective, which helped organise the meeting, posted on X. AFP | Luis TATO At least 19 people were killed and thousands of businesses looted and destroyed in a day of nationwide protests on 25 June. The government has been accused of deploying "goons" against protesters and political opponents. Hundreds of men on motorbikes armed with whips and clubs attacked a protest against police brutality in Nairobi on 17 June. AFP journalists at the scene said they were operating with the protection of police. - 'Kenya feels fragile' - Urbanisation, improved education and the spread of social media have fuelled anger over the stagnant economy and poor governance in a country where around 80 percent are trapped in informal, poorly paid jobs. "Kenya feels much more fragile than it would have four or even three years ago," said Declan Galvin, Kenya-based analyst with Exigent Risk Advisory. "We have a much larger, urban, mainly youth population, who do not rely on ethnicity and tribalism" as they did in the past, he told AFP. Politically, Ruto still holds a strong position, having forged an alliance with the main opposition leader Raila Odinga, leaving no clear challenger ahead of the next vote in 2027. But each violent crackdown is fuelling 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 | Luis TATO Saba Saba Day marks the uprising on 7 July, 1990 when Kenyans demanded a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi. Ruto cut his teeth as a youth organiser for Moi when those protests were violently suppressed. His government "seems to be trying to repeat the nineties, but we are not in the nineties," said Gabrielle Lynch, an African politics expert at Britain's University of Warwick. "They don't seem to have realised that the world is different. People are more politically aware, but also the communication environment has dramatically changed with the rise of social media," she added.
Eyewitness News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Armed gang attacks Kenya Human Rights Commission
NAIROBI, KENYA - An armed gang attacked the headquarters of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission on Sunday as it hosted a press conference calling for an end to state violence, an AFP journalist saw. The press conference was being held ahead of Monday's "Saba Saba Day", an annual commemoration of pro-democracy protests in the 1990s. "The gate was locked but they forced themselves in. They were attacking and robbing guys, saying: 'You are planning protests here'," the journalist said. The Women's Collective Kenya, a grassroots rights movement, had helped organise the press conference to call for "an immediate end to arbritrary arrests, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of their children for taking to the streets". But the meeting had yet to start when the gang of around 20 people attacked, some armed with sticks, forcing many to flee for safety. "Armed goons have attacked offices of the Kenya Human Rights Commission," the Women's Collective posted on X. Armed "goons", as they are widely known in Kenya, have been deployed to attack protesters in recent weeks. Protesters marching against police violence on June 17 were attacked by hundreds of men on motorbikes armed with whips and clubs. AFP journalists at the scene saw them working with the apparent protection of police, and some openly said they had been paid by local government leaders. At least 19 people died on June 25 as another day of protests turned violent, with thousands of businesses looted and destroyed. There is deep resentment against President William Ruto over economic stagnation and corruption, and anger has been fuelled by police killings and dozens of illegal detentions since large-scale protests first broke out in June 2024.
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First Post
15 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Armed gang attacks Kenya Human Rights Commission amid anti-government protests
The Kenyan Human Rights Commission was holding a news conference demanding 'an immediate end to arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings' when it was attacked by 20 men, some armed with sticks read more An armed gang invaded the Kenyan Human Rights Commission's headquarters on Sunday when it was hosting a news conference calling for a stop to state violence, according to an AFP correspondent. The incident occurred on the eve of 'Saba Saba Day,' when Kenyans commemorate pro-democracy rallies from the 1990s, and further turmoil is predicted on Monday. The east African country is once again seeing a wave of violent protests over economic stagnation, corruption, and recurrent instances of police violence under President William Ruto. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Kenyan Human Rights Commission was holding a news conference demanding 'an immediate end to arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings' when it was attacked by 20 men, some armed with sticks. 'The gate was locked but they forced themselves in. They were attacking and robbing guys, saying: 'You are planning protests here',' said an AFP journalist at the scene. 'Armed goons have attacked offices of the Kenya Human Rights Commission,' the Women's Collective, which helped organise the meeting, posted on X. At least 19 people were killed and thousands of businesses looted and destroyed in a day of nationwide protests on June 25. The government has been accused of deploying 'goons' against protesters and political opponents. Hundreds of men on motorbikes armed with whips and clubs attacked a protest against police brutality in Nairobi on June 17. AFP journalists at the scene said they were operating with the protection of police. 'Kenya feels fragile' Urbanisation, improved education and the spread of social media have fuelled anger over the stagnant economy and poor governance in a country where around 80 percent are trapped in informal, poorly paid jobs. 'Kenya feels much more fragile than it would have four or even three years ago,' said Declan Galvin, Kenya-based analyst with Exigent Risk Advisory. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We have a much larger, urban, mainly youth population, who do not rely on ethnicity and tribalism' as they did in the past, he told AFP. Politically, Ruto still holds a strong position, having forged an alliance with the main opposition leader Raila Odinga, leaving no clear challenger ahead of the next vote in 2027. But each violent crackdown is fuelling 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. Saba Saba Day marks the uprising on July 7, 1990 when Kenyans demanded a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi. Ruto cut his teeth as a youth organiser for Moi when those protests were violently suppressed. His government 'seems to be trying to repeat the nineties, but we are not in the nineties,' said Gabrielle Lynch, an African politics expert at Britain's University of Warwick. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'They don't seem to have realised that the world is different. People are more politically aware, but also the communication environment has dramatically changed with the rise of social media,' she added. 'People don't have the same in-built fear of the state.'
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Armed gang attacks Kenya Human Rights Commission on eve of protests
An armed gang attacked the headquarters of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission on Sunday as it hosted a press conference calling for an end to state violence, an AFP journalist saw. The attack came on the eve of "Saba Saba Day" when Kenyans mark pro-democracy protests from the 1990s, and renewed unrest is expected on Monday. The east African country is once again facing a wave of violent protests over economic stagnation, corruption and repeated acts of police brutality under President William Ruto. The Kenyan Human Rights Commission was hosting a press conference calling for "an immediate end to arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings" when it was attacked by 20 men, some armed with sticks. "The gate was locked but they forced themselves in. They were attacking and robbing guys, saying: 'You are planning protests here'," said an AFP journalist at the scene. "Armed goons have attacked offices of the Kenya Human Rights Commission," the Women's Collective, which helped organise the meeting, posted on X. At least 19 people were killed and thousands of businesses looted and destroyed in a day of nationwide protests on June 25. The government has been accused of deploying "goons" against protesters and political opponents. Hundreds of men on motorbikes armed with whips and clubs attacked a protest against police brutality in Nairobi on June 17. AFP journalists at the scene said they were operating with the protection of police. - 'Kenya feels fragile' - Urbanisation, improved education and the spread of social media have fuelled anger over the stagnant economy and poor governance in a country where around 80 percent are trapped in informal, poorly paid jobs. "Kenya feels much more fragile than it would have four or even three years ago," said Declan Galvin, Kenya-based analyst with Exigent Risk Advisory. "We have a much larger, urban, mainly youth population, who do not rely on ethnicity and tribalism" as they did in the past, he told AFP. Politically, Ruto still holds a strong position, having forged an alliance with the main opposition leader Raila Odinga, leaving no clear challenger ahead of the next vote in 2027. But each violent crackdown is fuelling 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. Saba Saba Day marks the uprising on July 7, 1990 when Kenyans demanded a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi. Ruto cut his teeth as a youth organiser for Moi when those protests were violently suppressed. His government "seems to be trying to repeat the nineties, but we are not in the nineties," said Gabrielle Lynch, an African politics expert at Britain's University of Warwick. "They don't seem to have realised that the world is different. People are more politically aware, but also the communication environment has dramatically changed with the rise of social media," she added. "People don't have the same in-built fear of the state." bur-er/cw
