Kenya: Demonstrators And Police Clash In Anti-Government Protests

Demonstrators and Police Clash in Kenya During Anti-Government Protests Kenya Thousands of people took to the streets of Kenya on Monday to protest against the government and call for President William Ruto’s resignation, triggering a heavy crackdown where police closed roads, erected metal spikes on the streets, and fired teargas to disperse demonstrators, Africanews reported. Local media reported that at least 11 people died and several others were injured as protesters, some blowing whistles, marched in the city despite the police deployment, Al Jazeera wrote. Police said 52 officers were wounded and more than 560 people were detained. Some schools, businesses, and roads around the capital, Nairobi, were closed Monday as a precaution for possible clashes, with a large police presence close to government buildings, the BBC noted. In other Kenyan cities, police responded with tear gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators, who had lit fires on the streets. The protests this year were part of annual demonstrations every July 7 to commemorate the anniversary of a 1990 uprising known as the “Saba Saba” (Kiswahili for 7/7) protests that returned the country to a multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-President Daniel arap Moi. Even so, they were also part of ongoing mass protests against the administration of Kenyan President William Ruto, who took power in 2022, that began a year ago over corruption, police brutality, and the unexplained disappearance of numerous opposition members. At least 80 people have been killed in protests since June 2024, while dozens have been detained. Last month, dozens of people died and thousands of businesses were vandalized in demonstrations. The protesters say that authorities are hiring armed vandals to discredit their movement’s image, while the government called the demonstrations an “attempted coup.” On Sunday, a press conference calling for an end to “enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings” by the Kenyan Human Rights Commission was interrupted by men, some armed with sticks, storming the building. The recent death of blogger Albert Ojwang while in police custody has escalated the protests and the fury of protesters. Prosecutors have charged six people in relation to his murder, including three police officers.