At least 10 killed and Nairobi locked down as police in Kenya clash with protesters
Protesters lit bonfires and threw stones at police. Police fired and hurled tear gas canisters, injuring demonstrators. Young men carried another man, his shirt drenched in blood, saying he had been shot. The protests were reported in 17 of 47 counties.
Kenyan youth and others for weeks have been protesting police brutality and poor governance while demanding President William Ruto 's resignation over alleged corruption and the high cost of living.
July 7, known as Saba Saba, is a significant date in Kenya's history, marking the first major protests 35 years ago that called on then- President Daniel arap Moi — Ruto's mentor — for a transition from a one-party state to a multiparty democracy, which was realized in the 1992 elections. Saba Saba is Swahili for Seven Seven.
Police officers on Monday stopped private and public vehicles from accessing Nairobi's city center. They also blocked most pedestrians from entering the capital, only allowing those deemed to have essential duties. Roads leading to parliament — stormed in a protest last year — and the president's office were barricaded using razor wire.
'There is no reversing the Gen Z Saba Saba-like spirit,' said Macharia Munene, professor of history and international relations at United States International University Africa in Nairobi. 'Attempt to criminalize protests is reactive and will not work. It instead makes the government appear retrogressive and desperate enough to subvert the constitution.'
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said on Sunday that the government would not tolerate violent protests and police would be deployed to ensure public safety. Last month, Murkomen told police to 'shoot on sight' anyone who approaches police stations during protests after several had been burned.
Public Service Minister Geoffrey Ruku had urged all government employees to report to work on Monday, insisting that the demonstrations would not disrupt public services.
In Kitengela town in Nairobi's outskirts, police fired tear gas to disperse protesters who had lit bonfires on the road that connects to neighboring Tanzania.
'They have blocked the roads, blocking us from our work. I am a roadside vendor and I am supposed to get to town and buy merchandise to sell along the road,' said protester Caleb Okoth. 'What do they want us to eat? People are being beaten like dogs for protesting for their rights.'
Kenya's latest wave of violent demonstrations was sparked by calls for police accountability following the death of a blogger in police custody last month. During protests on June 17, a police officer shot a civilian at close range, further angering the public.
On June 25, at least 19 people were killed and more than 400 injured during protests against police brutality that were timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary of anti-tax protests where parliament was stormed and over 60 people lost their lives.
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The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘Shoot them in the leg': Kenyan president's anti-protest rhetoric hardens as death toll rises
Kenya's president, William Ruto, has ordered police to shoot protesters targeting businesses in the legs, in a sharp intensification of his rhetoric days after 31 people were killed in nationwide anti-government demonstrations. 'They shouldn't kill them but they should shoot their legs so they break and they can go to hospital on their way to court,' Ruto said in the capital, Nairobi. In his toughest remarks yet about the wave of protests over economic stagnation, corruption and police brutality that have swept the east African country, he also accused his political opponents of orchestrating the demonstrations and said some of those out on the streets were waging a 'war' on the state. 'Those who attack our police, those who attack our security men and women, those who attack our security installations, including police stations, that is a declaration of war, that is terrorism,' he said. 'We are going to deal with you firmly. We cannot have a nation that is run by terror. We cannot have a nation that is governed by violence. 'This country will not be destroyed by a few people who are impatient and who want to have a change of government using unconstitutional means. It is not going to happen.' In the latest protests, on Monday, Kenyans took to the streets to mark Saba Saba (Seven Seven), the day on 7 July 1990 when Kenyans rose up to demand a return to multiparty democracy after years of autocratic rule under Daniel arap Moi. Thirty-one people were killed on Monday and 107 others were injured, according to the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, bringing the toll to 51 over the past two months, according to an Agence France-Pressse tally. Unicef condemned the killing of a 12-year-old girl by a stray bullet while she was at home in Kiambu county, nine miles from the capital, as well as the arrest of children during the protests. 'Children must be protected from harm at all times and under all circumstances,' the UN agency said. The demonstrations began in June last year as a youth-led movement against a proposed tax increase that quickly widened to encompass calls for reform and Ruto's resignation. The government was forced to withdraw the finance bill that contained the proposed rises, and Ruto dismissed nearly all of his cabinet in an attempt to control the situation, but police killings and abductions did little to assuage public anger. The death in police custody last month of a teacher who had reportedly criticised a senior police official on social media, and the police shooting of a man at close range during a subsequent protest, has refocused attention on the security forces. On some occasions protests have degenerated into looting and violence on the part of the protesters, with thousands of businesses destroyed. Ruto was elected on a promise to improve the wellbeing of young and ordinary Kenyans, but many feel he has failed to deliver on his economic pledges and that he has responded in a tone-deaf manner to protesters' demands. Ruto's latest comments echo an order to police from the interior minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, two weeks ago to shoot people who approach police stations 'with criminal intent'. Opposition leaders, including Ruto's former deputy and ally Rigathi Gachagua, have accused the government of unleashing 'hostile' state-sponsored violence against its citizens. On Tuesday, they called on the public to 'boycott all businesses, services and institutions owned, operated or publicly linked to this regime and its enablers'. Ruto's allies have accused Gachagua of bankrolling violent protests – accusations he has denied. Gachagua also dismissed Ruto's claims of a plot to overthrow the government, saying on Wednesday: 'We want to remove you … through the ballot in 2027.' Observers say that Ruto has to endear himself both to a disillusioned general public and to younger Kenyans – a strong-willed and defiant generation born after the restoration of multiparty democracy who benefited from free primary education that started in 2003, and who have been leading the push for change since last year. The UN said it was 'deeply troubled' over the deaths during this week's protests and that 'intentional lethal force by law enforcement officers, including with firearms, should only be used when strictly necessary to protect life from an imminent threat'. Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
Kenyan president orders police to shoot Gen Z protesters in the legs
Kenya's president has ordered police to shoot Gen Z protesters vandalising businesses in the legs, ensuring they are debilitated but not killed. William Ruto declared on Wednesday that 'anyone caught burning another person's business or property should be shot in the leg, hospitalised, and later taken to court. Don't kill them, but ensure their legs are broken'. The UN has accused Kenyan police of using excessive force, including live ammunition, tear gas and rubber bullets in the latest wave of anti-government protests, as simmering anger against Mr Ruto's government erupted into clashes between protesters and police in the capital Nairobi and other cities. He accused protesters of trying to 'bring disaster' to Kenya in a bid to overthrow the government before the 2027 elections. 'This country will not be destroyed by a few people who are impatient and who want a change of government using unconstitutional means. It is not going to happen,' Mr Ruto added. The escalation of violence is the latest in a wider wave of protests, initially led by so-called Gen Z dissenters angry at the state of the economy, corruption and police brutality. Last summer, young Kenyan professionals took to social media to call for a 'Gen Z uprising' over proposed tax rises, which triggered widespread anger in a country grappling with a significant youth unemployment crisis. Protesters briefly seized control of parliament and set it ablaze following a week of countrywide riots that killed at least 27 people. Mr Rito later pulled the tax plans. The latest tensions peaked last month when the death of blogger Albert Obwang in police custody sparked widespread outrage against Mr Ruto's government across the country, with rights groups demanding that police be held accountable after a post-mortem examination revealed the probable cause of death was from being hit on the head. A total of 50 people have died and hundreds have been injured in the past two weeks during two separate waves of demonstrations. At least 31 people were killed and more than 100 others wounded in protests on Monday alone, with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights also documenting at least 532 arrests and two forced disappearances. The UN criticised the Kenyan police for using 'lethal ammunition' against protesters and urged prompt thorough and independent investigations into the killings. Resistance leaders accused the government of deploying unmarked police vehicles to transport armed gangs to perceived opposition strongholds during the protests and called for a national boycott of all businesses affiliated with Mr Ruto's administration. Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesman for the UN high commissioner for human rights, said in a news conference, 'It is essential that legitimate grievances at the root of these protests are addressed.' Mr Ruto has defended police brutality and on Wednesday said that attacks on security forces would be seen as a 'declaration of war'. 'You cannot sponsor violence and go scot-free,' he said, adding that 'Kenya cannot and will not be ruled through threats, terror, or chaos. Not under my watch'. Monday's protests were intended to commemorate Kenya's decades-long struggle for democracy – they fell on Saba Saba day, which in Swahili means 'Seven Seven', referring to the July 7 1990 protests – but they quickly escalated into deadly clashes in 17 out of the country's 47 counties, local media reported. Many of those demonstrating chanted 'Ruto must go' and 'wantam', meaning 'one term', a popular rallying call demanding Mr Ruto leave office. Mr Ruto has questioned why some Kenyans have been more critical of his administration than previous governments, claiming that the youth unemployment crisis was deep rooted and existed long before he came to power in 2022. He said that his administration was the first to take concrete steps to address it. 'Why cause all the chaos during my time?' Mr Ruto asked. 'You can call me whatever names you want to call me, but I will make sure there is peace and stability in Kenya.'
ITV News
9 hours ago
- ITV News
Kenya protests: 31 people killed in highest daily death toll since unrest began
The death toll of anti-government protests in Kenya on Monday has risen to 31 – marking the highest single-day toll since demonstrations began earlier this year. Another 107 people were injured and more than 500 were arrested amid widespread destruction of property, including supermarkets, the state-funded human rights commission said. The watchdog did not say whether any security forces were included in the death toll. For weeks, Kenyans have taken to the streets to protest against police brutality, poor governance, the rising cost of living, and to demand President William Ruto's resignation over alleged corruption. On Tuesday the UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, urged Kenya's government to address protesters' grievances and called for "calm and restraint, and full respect for the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly". Monday's protests coincided with the 35th anniversary of Saba Saba Day (meaning "Seven Seven" in Swahili), which saw Kenyans take to the streets in 1990 to demand free elections and a return to multi-party democracy. That demand was realised during the 1992 general elections. Protesters on Monday were met with police roadblocks preventing access to downtown Nairobi, while officers used tear gas and water cannons to keep demonstrators away. There have also been unconfirmed reports of police opening fire on protesters. Video footage geolocated by ITV News' North American partner CNN shows a civilian in Kiambu County stepping out of a car surrounded by armed officers, and then being whipped repeatedly by one of them. They cover their head to protect themself, and do not appear to be threatening the officer in any way. In a statement on Monday night, Kenya's police service said that 'each reported incident will be subject to further investigation, in accordance with the law'. A wave of protests was sparked by a teacher and blogger's death in police custody last month. Police shot a civilian at close range during a protest on June 17, prompting thousands of people across the country to take to the streets. A total of 50 people have been killed in the protests over the last two weeks, more than half of whom last their lives on Monday alone. Yesterday, the Kenya National Cohesion and Integration Commission, a government body whose commissioners are appointed by the president, urged politicians not to fuel ethnic tensions and criticised police for using excessive force towards Minister Kipchumba Murkomen last week told police to 'shoot on sight' anyone who approaches police stations during protests after several were burned. Public anger has built on Ruto's efforts to make Kenyans pay more to help pay off massive government debt. Last year, thousands of young people protesting rising taxes stormed parliament, leading Ruto to promise to cut government spending. Some people have been taking advantage of the chaos by looting shops, with some business owners saying they have lost large amounts of goods. "They invaded our shop, and by the way, we have lost so many things. We lost cash, phones, a lot of them,' mobile phone seller Nancy Gicharu said. 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 office. 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'. A police spokesman said: 'The National Police Service is looking into the incident and shall take appropriate steps after reviewing the unacceptable clip.' 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.
