Latest news with #LawSocietyOfKenya
Irish Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Clashes between Kenyan police and anti-government protesters leave 16 dead, 400 injured
At least 16 people have been killed and 400 injured in Kenya as a nationwide demonstration to honour those killed during last year's antigovernment protests turned chaotic, with police clashing with protesters in different parts of the country. A joint statement from groups supporting the protests said 83 people were seriously injured and at least eight people were being treated for gunshot wounds. Most of the 16 dead were killed by police, the local branch of global rights group Amnesty International said. 'We pray for our nation, dialogue and a way forward from the political impasse facing Kenya,' said the statement from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the Police Reforms Working Group and the Kenya Medical Association. READ MORE Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets early on Wednesday to pay tribute to more than 60 people who died when police opened fire on a crowd that tried to storm parliament while MPs inside passed legislation to raise taxes. 'We face an unfortunate paradox as a country where more lives are being lost as the people seek justice for the lives already lost,' the LSK's president, Faith Odhiambo, said on X. 'Our hearts break for all the victims of the continued trend of police brutality and excesses.' In Nairobi, police barricaded major roads a few kilometres from the central business district and turned away buses and minibuses farther away from the city centre. They also blocked off access to key buildings, including the parliament and the official residence of the president, William Ruto, with razor wire. In the city centre, where many businesses were closed, thousands gathered for the march, waving Kenyan flags and placards with images of victims of last year's protests. Others lit street fires and chanted slogans against Ruto. Later violence ensued, with police firing tear gas and water cannons and hitting protesters with batons, while protesters threw stones and other objects at them. A source at Kenyatta national hospital in Nairobi told Reuters the facility had received 56 people, most of them with injuries from rubber bullets. The planned marches also developed into clashes between civilians and police in the cities of Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu and other parts of the country. Protesters torched parts of court buildings in Kikuyu town in Kiambu county. The communications authority of Kenya ordered TV and radio stations to stop live coverage of the protests, threatening those that failed to follow the directive with regulatory action. NTV and KTN, two leading TV stations, were later taken off air. Lawmakers left parliament buildings in Nairobi, and protests continued to intensify in the city centre. Elsewhere, crowds of people marched along major roads towards the capital. Outrage has been growing in Kenya over the past few years due to corruption, unemployment, government excesses and rising living costs. Wednesday's protests come against a backdrop of demonstrations last year prompted by proposed tax increases, in which dozens of people died and many more disappeared. The street protests reduced over time, but killings, arrests and disappearances continued, triggering more anger towards the authorities. Two incidents this month – the death of the teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody after reportedly criticising a senior police official on social media, and the police shooting of the vendor Boniface Kariuki at close range during a protest over Ojwang's death – have further inflamed public anger. Stephanie Marie, a young protester in Nairobi, said she was at Wednesday's march because of Ojwang. 'It could be my brother, it could be my cousin, it could be anyone,' she said. 'These are just normal boys, doing normal things.' She called for leaders to heed what the they were saying: 'The people voted. You're here for the people. You're working for the people ... We just want you to listen to the people. That's it.' Another young protester in Nairobi, Innocent, was commemorating the loss of his friend in last year's protests. He said he'd been exposed to a lot of tear gas from police on Wednesday but he was relentless. 'The youth are unstoppable,' he said. 'Because we've come to fight for our rights.' He added: 'We don't want bad leadership'. – The Guardian
Al Bawaba
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Eight Kenyans killed, hundreds injured in nationwide protests against President Ruto
ALBAWABA- At least eight people have been killed and more than 400 injured during nationwide protests in Kenya against President William Ruto's government, according to a joint statement issued by the Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya, and the Police Reforms Working Group. Also Read Trump: Iran's conflict with Israel may reignite soon The protests, which spread across major cities, saw thousands of demonstrators flooding the streets, chanting slogans like 'Ruto must go' and waving tree branches in a symbolic gesture of peaceful resistance. Police clashed with demonstrators in several locations, using tear gas and barricades to prevent crowds from reaching key government sites, including the State House and parliament, as reported by the BBC. Protesters, many of them youth-led, faced off with heavily armed forces behind razor wire fencing. The same fencing encircled parliament after it was stormed and partially set ablaze exactly one year ago. President Ruto, who was away from the capital attending a funeral in Kilifi, called for calm. 'Protests should not be used to destroy peace in Kenya. We don't have another country to go to. It is our responsibility to keep our country safe,' he said. His absence from the State House during the height of unrest raised eyebrows as demonstrators threatened to storm the compound. Authorities initially banned live television and radio coverage of the protests. Still, the decision was swiftly overturned by the High Court in Nairobi, affirming media freedom amid growing concerns over transparency and state suppression. Wednesday's protests come against a backdrop of deepening public frustration over economic conditions, alleged police brutality, and growing disillusionment with Ruto's leadership. Among the 400 injured, 83 required specialized treatment, and at least eight sustained gunshot wounds. The casualties also included three police officers. In Nairobi's city center, shuttered businesses and smoke from tear gas painted a grim picture, but protesters remained defiant. Many carried placards bearing the names of those killed during last year's deadly protests, with floral wreaths placed near parliament in tribute. At least eight people have been killed and more than 400 injured during nationwide protests in Kenya against President William Ruto's government, according to a joint statement issued by the Kenya Medical Association, the Law Society of Kenya, and the Police Reforms Working Group. The protests, which spread across major cities, saw thousands of demonstrators flooding the streets, chanting slogans like 'Ruto must go' and waving tree branches in a symbolic gesture of peaceful resistance. Police clashed with demonstrators in several locations, using tear gas and barricades to prevent crowds from reaching key government sites including State House and parliament. Protesters, many of them youth-led, faced off with heavily armed forces behind razor wire fencing — the same fencing that encircled parliament after it was stormed and partially set ablaze exactly one year ago. President Ruto, who was away from the capital attending a funeral in Kilifi, called for calm. 'Protests should not be used to destroy peace in Kenya. We don't have another country to go to. It is our responsibility to keep our country safe,' he said. His absence from State House during the height of unrest raised eyebrows as demonstrators threatened to storm the compound. Authorities initially banned live television and radio coverage of the protests, but the decision was swiftly overturned by the High Court in Nairobi, affirming media freedom amid growing concerns over transparency and state suppression. Wednesday's protests come against a backdrop of deepening public frustration over economic conditions, alleged police brutality, and growing disillusionment with Ruto's leadership. Among the 400 injured, 83 required specialized treatment and at least eight sustained gunshot wounds. The casualties also included three police officers. In Nairobi's city center, shuttered businesses and smoke from tear gas painted a grim picture, but protesters remained defiant. Many carried placards bearing the names of those killed during last year's deadly protests, with floral wreaths placed near parliament in tribute. A young woman draped in the Kenyan flag held a poster honoring those slain — a stark reminder that, for many Kenyans, the struggle is far from over.
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
At least eight people dead and 400 injured in Kenyan protests
At least eight people have been killed and 400 injured in Kenya as a nationwide demonstration to honour those killed during last year's anti-government protests turned chaotic, with police clashing with protesters in different parts of the country. A joint statement from groups supporting the protests said 83 people were seriously injured and at least eight people were being treated for gunshot wounds. 'We pray for our nation, dialogue and a way forward from the political impasse facing Kenya,' said the statement from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), the Police Reforms Working Group and the Kenya Medical Association. Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets early on Wednesday to pay tribute to more than 60 people who died when police opened fire on a crowd that tried to storm parliament while MPs inside passed legislation to raise taxes. 'We face an unfortunate paradox as a country where more lives are being lost as the people seek justice for the lives already lost,' LSK president Faith Odhiambo said on X. 'Our hearts break for all the victims of the continued trend of police brutality and excesses.' In Nairobi, police barricaded major roads a few kilometres from the central business district and turned away buses and minibuses farther away from the city centre. They also blocked off access to key buildings, including the parliament and the official residence of president William Ruto, with razor wire. Thousands gathered in the city centre, where many businesses were closed, for the march, waving Kenyan flags and placards with images of victims of last year's protests. Others lit street fires and chanted slogans against Ruto. Later battles ensued, with police firing tear gas and water cannons and hitting protesters with batons, while protesters threw stones and other objects at them. A source at Nairobi's Kenyatta national hospital told Reuters the facility had received 56 people, most of them with injuries from rubber bullets. The planned marches also developed into clashes between civilians and police in the cities of Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu and other parts of the country. Protestors torched parts of court buildings in Kikuyu town in Kiambu county. The communications authority of Kenya ordered TV and radio stations to stop live coverage of the protests, threatening those that failed to follow the directive with regulatory action. NTV and KTN, two leading TV stations, were later taken off air. Lawmakers left parliament buildings in Nairobi, and protests continued to intensify in the city centre. Elsewhere, throngs of people marched along major roads towards the capital. Outrage has been growing in Kenya over the past few years due to corruption, unemployment, government excesses and rising living costs. Wednesday's protests come against a backdrop of demonstrations last year, prompted by proposed tax increases, in which dozens of people died and many more disappeared. The street protests reduced over time, but killings, arrests, disappearances continued, triggering more anger towards the authorities. Two incidents this month – the death of teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody after reportedly criticising a senior police official on social media, and the police shooting of vendor Boniface Kariuki at close range during a protest over Ojwang's death – have further inflamed public anger. Stephanie Marie, a young protester in Nairobi, said she was at Wednesday's march because of Ojwang. 'It could be my brother, it could be my cousin, it could be anyone,' she said. 'These are just normal boys, doing normal things.' She called for leaders to heed what the they were saying: 'The people voted. You're here for the people. You're working for the people ... We just want you to listen to the people. That's it.' Another young protester in Nairobi, Innocent, was commemorating the loss of his friend in last year's protests. He said he'd been exposed to a lot of teargas from police on Wednesday but he was relentless. 'The youth are unstoppable,' he said. 'Because we've come to fight for our rights.' He added: 'We don't want bad leadership'.
