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Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Hospitals in Kenya capital, nearby town vandalised during protests
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mortuary staff receive the slain body of Brian Kimutai Bitok, 21, who was shot and killed during anti-government protests, dubbed \"Saba Saba People's March\", at the Kitengela Sub-County Hospital mortuary in Kitengela, Kajiado County, Kenya July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya NAIROBI - At least two hospitals in Kenya sustained damage during protests to mark the 35th anniversary of pro-democracy rallies, witnesses and hospital officials said on Tuesday, a day after the demonstrations left 11 people dead, according to the police. Tensions have been running high in the East African nation since the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody last month brought people back onto the streets, a year after anti-government protesters stormed parliament. In the first incident in the town of Kitengela, 34 km south of Nairobi, more than 100 unidentified attackers armed with clubs forced their way into a hospital to demand treatment for their colleagues, a nurse said. "We had patients even in the emergency and consultation room. Some had been sent to the lab. We closed the maternity with a door grille because they wanted to go in," Lilian Nyakhurenya told Reuters. "The maternity was full and it is always full. We were many in the shift and we ran away, and some of us had to wear the patient's uniforms." Saningo Tatio, a clinical dermatologist, said the armed men "started damaging all the facilities" at the hospital, forcing health workers to take cover. "The police came but the goons were so many," Tatio said, adding that the attackers also started a fire near the laboratory. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Singapore New Draft Master Plan could reignite developers' interest to buy land Asia Seoul scorches at 37.8 deg C, highest early-July temperature ever recorded Business Great Eastern could resume trading after delisting vote fails to pass; OCBC's exit offer lapses Asia China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals Multimedia 'I suspect he's cheating': She finds proof when spouses stray In a second incident, another group of unidentified attackers forced their way into a hospital in Nairobi, stealing equipment. Jeff Ngami, branch manager at Bristol Hospital situated in the Embakasi neighbourhood, told Reuters that armed men stormed the premises on Monday evening and stole equipment worth over 800,000 Kenyan shillings ($6,200). "They harassed our staff at the hospital while they were ransacking the hospital. Some of my staff were harassed, injured and traumatised." "They also stole staff's mobile phones, optical frames and other items," he said, adding that he had reported the matter to the police. Spokespeople for Kenyan police and the government did not respond to requests for comment. The head of a union for health workers told reporters that officials had previously asked the government to provide them with security but their requests had gone unanswered. "Yesterday now brought to the fore how the government has abandoned (the) security of the health worker," said Peterson Wachira, national chairman of the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers. "We are putting the government on notice that all health facilities and especially those in the hotspots must be provided with armed security from the Kenya police." REUTERS
Japan Today
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
Ten dead and dozens injured in Kenya anti-government protests
A demonstrator lies on the road, watching clashes with police as a fire burns, at the "Saba Saba People's March" anti-government protest in Nairobi, Kenya July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY By Humphrey Malalo Kenyan police fired to disperse demonstrators in Nairobi marking the 35th anniversary of pro-democracy rallies on Monday, as Kenya's rights watchdog reported 10 dead and 29 injured nationwide in the latest anti-government protests to end in bloodshed. The death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody last month has given the protests fresh impetus, fuelling anger against the authorities and bringing hundreds onto the streets. A Reuters reporter saw police fire at advancing protesters in the Nairobi suburb of Kangemi, with one man later lying motionless on the road with a bleeding wound. The suburb's Eagle Nursing Home said six people had been admitted with injuries, and that two had died from gunshot wounds. A source at Kenyatta National Hospital said it was treating 24 injured people, but did not elaborate on their injuries. The government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said it had documented 10 dead and 29 injured. It did not provide a breakdown of the figures, recorded across 17 of Kenya's 47 counties. Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Law enforcers have been deploying heavily in Nairobi since youth-led protests in June 2024 that initially focused on tax hikes but expanded to cover issues such as corruption, police brutality and unexplained disappearances of government critics. Police used tear gas and water cannon on Monday to disperse hundreds of demonstrators advancing along a road connecting Kangemi to downtown Nairobi. Hours later, protesters and police scuffled, and a Reuters reporter saw police opening fire as the crowd charged at them. The Commission on Human Rights said it saw "numerous hooded officers, not in uniform, travelling in unmarked vehicles". A court order requires police to be easily identifiable following allegations that plain clothes police fired live rounds at demonstrators last year. The Commission also said criminal gangs wielding whips and machetes appeared to be operating alongside police in Nairobi and the Rift Valley town of Eldoret. Local media said there had also been demonstrations in the towns of Nyeri, Embu and the lakeside city of Nakuru, where half a dozen police on horseback dispersed stone-throwing protesters. Police had blocked major roads leading into Nairobi and restricted traffic within the city, leaving streets deserted but for the demonstrators, who arrived on foot. Most schools and at least one shopping mall were shut in anticipation of trouble. Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, who last month described the protests as "terrorism disguised as dissent", said on Sunday that 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. Activists rally every July 7 to mark the day in 1990 when opponents of then-president Daniel Arap Moi launched a bid to turn Kenya into a multi-party democracy. The protest is called "Saba Saba" - "Seven Seven" in Kiswahili - because of the date. Those protests paved the way two years later for the first multi-party elections in more than two decades. The death of 31-year-old Ojwang, a blogger and teacher, has focused public anger, sparking a string of demonstrations last month. On June 25, according to the Commission, 19 people lost their lives nationwide in demonstrations to protest against Ojwang's death and mark the first anniversary of rallies that culminated in the storming of parliament. Six people including three police officers have been charged with murder over Ojwang's death. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
Egypt Independent
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Kenyan police fire water cannon and tear gas at protesters as anti-government outrage grows
CNN — Kenyan police used tear gas and water cannon on protesters marking the 35th anniversary of a pro-democracy rally that has stirred anti-government resentment among Kenyan youths, who were already enraged over allegations of corruption, police brutality and abductions of government critics. The East African country has been hit by a wave of bloody protests that began last year over an unpopular finance bill that raised taxes amid a cost-of-living crisis. Kenya's government withdrew the tax bill in June last year in the wake of the demonstrations, but outrage has intensified over the recent death of a teacher in police custody and the shooting of an unarmed street vendor by police. At least 16 people were killed and hundreds injured during anti-government protests last month. Dozens more died during the anti-tax demonstrations in 2024. On Monday, several parts of Kenya saw gatherings as people marked the anniversary of the July 7, 1990, pro-democracy march known as Saba Saba. In the capital Nairobi, Kenyan security forces repelled protesters with tear gas and water cannon hours after blocking major roads leading into the city. Roads leading to the Kenyan Parliament building, as well as the president's office and residence, were also barricaded ahead of the demonstrations. A demonstrator stands on a barricade cylinder during clashes with riot police in Nairobi on July 7, 2025. Thomas Mukoya/Reuters Riot police leave their vehicles during clashes in Nairobi on July 7, 2025. Thomas Mukoya/Reuters The clampdown comes after individuals described by the Kenyan Human Rights Commission as 'hired goons' who were 'sent by the state to silence dissent' stormed the NGO's offices. In a statement on Sunday night, the human rights body said those who entered the building 'violently disrupted a press conference by Kenyan mothers calling for an end to arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings targeting protesters ahead of Saba Saba demonstrations.' CNN has contacted the Kenyan police and government on the allegation. Earlier on Sunday, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said security agencies were '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.' Murkomen previously described last month's demonstrations as 'terrorism disguised as dissent,' in a statement that further reignited outrage.
The Star
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Kenya police open fire on charging crowd of protesters in Nairobi
A riot police officer fires tear gas during clashes with demonstrators at the "Saba Saba People's March" anti-government protest in Nairobi, Kenya July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya
The Star
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Police block roads to Kenyan capital on anniversary of pro-democracy protests
A riot-police shield sits propped up by a baton on the road, as people participate in anti-government protests (not pictured) dubbed "Saba Saba People's March" in downtown Nairobi, Kenya July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya NAIROBI (Reuters) -Police blocked major roads leading to Nairobi and heavily restricted vehicle traffic on Monday, Reuters witnesses and Kenyan media said, as the country braced for protests to mark the anniversary of pro-democracy rallies. Activists rally each 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. This year's rally comes after largely youth-led protests in June last year that initially focused on tax hikes but expanded to cover issues such as corruption, police brutality and unexplained disappearances of government critics. The government is committed to protecting life and property during protests, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said on his X account on Sunday. "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. On Sunday, unidentified people forced their way into the offices of the non-profit Kenya Human Rights Commission to stop a press conference ahead of Monday's protests. At least one person, a board member, was injured, Ernest Cornel, who works at the commission, said. Police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. Most schools and at least one shopping mall remained closed on Monday, Reuters witnesses said. The death of Albert Ojwang, a teacher and blogger, in police custody in June gave fresh impetus to protests, with the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reporting 19 deaths across the country during demonstrations last month. Prosecutors approved murder charges against six people, including three police officers, over Ojwang's death. All six pleaded not guilty. (Reporting by George Obulutsa, Edwin Okoth, Edwin Waita; Editing by Ammu Kannampilly and Sharon Singleton)
