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Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
How the death of a blogger fuelled deadly protests across a nation
The protests against Ojwang's death in custody coincided with demonstrations already planned in Kenya to mark the first anniversary of an anti-government movement led by youth who call themselves Gen Z. Those demonstrations a year ago – sparked by opposition to a proposed tax hike and fuelled, in part, by disgust at pervasive police violence – left more than 60 people dead and 20 others missing. Parliament was also stormed. On Wednesday, a wave of youth-led demonstrations across the country was followed by looting and arson in the capital, Nairobi, and other cities. Kenyan police used live rounds, tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters. Rights group Amnesty Kenya said 16 people had been killed – all from gunshot wounds. It was not immediately clear who had shot them, and Kenyan police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga declined to comment on the injuries. The New York Times reported that at least 400 people were injured in Wednesday's protests – 83 of them seriously, citing an alliance of grassroots organisations. 'Many of us are being killed with no reason,' said Don Cliff Ochieng, 24, a security guard in Nairobi who said that he was protesting because of the lack of economic opportunities and police brutality. 'It is our right to demonstrate.' On Thursday, after a night of looting and arson left buildings smouldering in central Nairobi, shop owners were cleaning up the charred wreckage. 'Look: everything they burnt. So please government, try talking to the Gen Z. Because this happened [because] of Gen Z. So the Gen Z, try to sit down and talk with the government,' Ibrahim Hamisi, whose building was burnt, said. Shopkeeper Josephine Apondi said 'thugs' had looted 2 million shillings ($23,500) worth of phones and electronics from her Nairobi shop. Kenya's Interior Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, has accused protesters of attempting to enact 'regime change' and said police had been forced to hold back large crowds who sought to approach parliament and State House, the president's residence. 'Criminal anarchists' had 'unleashed a wave of violence, looting, sexual assault and destruction upon our people', he said. But Boniface Mwangi, one of the prominent figures in the protest movement, told Reuters: 'The branding of [the] protests as a coup is the government's attempt to shift attention from the real issue.'
The Age
a day ago
- Politics
- The Age
How the death of a blogger fuelled deadly protests across a nation
The protests against Ojwang's death in custody coincided with demonstrations already planned in Kenya to mark the first anniversary of an anti-government movement led by youth who call themselves Gen Z. Those demonstrations a year ago – sparked by opposition to a proposed tax hike and fuelled, in part, by disgust at pervasive police violence – left more than 60 people dead and 20 others missing. Parliament was also stormed. On Wednesday, a wave of youth-led demonstrations across the country was followed by looting and arson in the capital, Nairobi, and other cities. Kenyan police used live rounds, tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters. Rights group Amnesty Kenya said 16 people had been killed – all from gunshot wounds. It was not immediately clear who had shot them, and Kenyan police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga declined to comment on the injuries. The New York Times reported that at least 400 people were injured in Wednesday's protests – 83 of them seriously, citing an alliance of grassroots organisations. 'Many of us are being killed with no reason,' said Don Cliff Ochieng, 24, a security guard in Nairobi who said that he was protesting because of the lack of economic opportunities and police brutality. 'It is our right to demonstrate.' On Thursday, after a night of looting and arson left buildings smouldering in central Nairobi, shop owners were cleaning up the charred wreckage. 'Look: everything they burnt. So please government, try talking to the Gen Z. Because this happened [because] of Gen Z. So the Gen Z, try to sit down and talk with the government,' Ibrahim Hamisi, whose building was burnt, said. Shopkeeper Josephine Apondi said 'thugs' had looted 2 million shillings ($23,500) worth of phones and electronics from her Nairobi shop. Kenya's Interior Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, has accused protesters of attempting to enact 'regime change' and said police had been forced to hold back large crowds who sought to approach parliament and State House, the president's residence. 'Criminal anarchists' had 'unleashed a wave of violence, looting, sexual assault and destruction upon our people', he said. But Boniface Mwangi, one of the prominent figures in the protest movement, told Reuters: 'The branding of [the] protests as a coup is the government's attempt to shift attention from the real issue.'
Daily Maverick
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Eight reported dead, more than 400 injured after protests erupt in Kenya
Kenyan rights body says eight deaths have been reported while hundreds are injured, including from bullet wounds, in anti-government protests marking the anniversary of bloody anti-tax bill demonstrations last year. At least eight people died and 400 were injured during nationwide anti-government protests in Kenya on Wednesday, a year after deadly demonstrations against a tax bill, the national rights watchdog said. Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets to commemorate last year's demonstrations, in which more than 60 people died, with police firing tear gas and water cannon to disperse them in the capital Nairobi, according to local media and a Reuters witness. Some protesters clashed with police, and the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said late on Wednesday that eight deaths had been reported across the country, all 'allegedly from gunshot wounds'. 'Over 400 casualties have been reported, including demonstrators, police officers and journalists,' KNCHR said in a statement shared on its official X account. The watchdog did not say who had shot the victims, noting heavy police deployment and 'allegations of excessive use of force, including rubber bullets, live ammunition and water cannon, resulting in numerous injuries'. Kenyan police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the KNCHR statement. An official at the capital's main Kenyatta National Hospital said the facility had received dozens of wounded people, '107 admitted, most with gunshot injuries', the source said, referring to rubber bullets and live rounds. He said no deaths had been reported at the hospital. National electricity provider Kenya Power said one of its security guards was shot dead during the protests while patrolling its headquarters in Nairobi. Large crowds were seen earlier heading in the direction of State House, the president's official residence, in scenes broadcast by Kenyan channel NTV before it and another broadcaster, KTN, were pulled off the air after defying an order to stop live broadcasts of the demonstrations. 'We have been switched off from all the signal broadcasters, now we are only live on YouTube and the website,' a senior official at NTV's parent Nation Media Group told Reuters. Both channels resumed broadcasts later on Wednesday after a court in Nairobi suspended the order issued by the Communications Authority of Kenya. The communications authority's order was condemned by the Kenya Editors Guild, which called it 'a gross violation of the Constitution.' Anger against police Protesters torched court facilities in Kikuyu town on the outskirts of Nairobi, Citizen TV reported. Flames and thick smoke billowed from the court building in a video posted on the broadcaster's X account. Isolated clashes were reported in the port city of Mombasa, according to NTV, with protests also in the towns of Kitengela, Kisii, Matuu and Nyeri. Although last year's protests faded after President William Ruto withdrew proposed tax hikes, public anger has remained over the use of excessive force by security agencies, with fresh demonstrations this month over the death of a blogger in police custody. Six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder on Tuesday over the killing of 31-year-old blogger and teacher, Albert Ojwang. All have pleaded not guilty. Ojwang's death has become a lightning rod for Kenyans still mourning those who perished in last year's demonstrations, blamed on security forces, against a backdrop of dozens of unexplained disappearances. 'We are fighting for the rights of our fellow youths and Kenyans and the people who died since June 25 … we want justice,' Lumumba Harmony, a protester, told Reuters in Nairobi. The unprecedented scenes on 25 June 2024, showing police firing at protesters as they broke through barriers to enter parliament, created the biggest crisis of Ruto's presidency and sparked alarm among Kenya's international allies. DM
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Dozens hospitalised as Kenyan protesters, police clash
Fifty-six people have been hospitalised, most of them with bullet wounds, after participating in rallies in Kenya to mark the one-year anniversary of deadly protests against a tax bill, a hospital source says. Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets to commemorate last year's demonstrations, in which more than 60 people died, with police firing tear gas and water cannon to disperse them in the capital Nairobi, according to local media and a Reuters witness. It was not immediately clear who had shot them, and Kenyan police spokesman Muchiri Nyaga declined to comment on the injuries. Some protesters clashed with police and an official at the capital's main Kenyatta National Hospital said the facility had received dozens of wounded people. "As at 16:00 hours, 56 patients had been admitted at KNH from the protest related injuries. Majority had rubber bullet injuries," the hospital source told Reuters, adding that no deaths had been reported at KNH. The source and Kenya's Citizen Television had earlier reported that at least 10 people were hospitalised. Large crowds were seen heading in the direction of State House, the president's office, in scenes broadcast by Kenyan channel NTV before it was pulled off the air after defying an order to stop live broadcasts of the demonstrations. The Communications Authority of Kenya's order was condemned by the Kenya Editors Guild, which called it "a gross violation of the constitution". "We have been switched off from all the signal broadcasters, now we are only live on YouTube and the website," a senior official at NTV's parent Nation Media Group told Reuters. Kenyan broadcaster KTN was also taken off air, it said on its Telegram channel, adding that it would continue to offer live coverage on YouTube, Facebook and X. Protesters torched court facilities in Kikuyu town on the outskirts of Nairobi, Citizen TV reported. Flames and thick smoke billowed from the court building in a video posted on the broadcaster's X account. Isolated clashes were reported in the port city of Mombasa, according to NTV, with protests also in the towns of Kitengela, Kisii, Matuu and Nyeri. Although last year's protests faded after President William Ruto withdrew proposed tax hikes, public anger has remained over the use of excessive force by security agencies, with fresh demonstrations this month over the death of a blogger in police custody. Six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder on Tuesday over the killing of 31-year-old blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang. All have pleaded not guilty. Ojwang's death has become a lightning rod for Kenyans still mourning those who perished at last year's demonstrations, blamed on security forces, against a backdrop of dozens of unexplained disappearances. "We are fighting for the rights of our fellow youths and Kenyans and the people who died since June 25... we want justice," Lumumba Harmony, a protester, told Reuters in Nairobi. The unprecedented scenes on June 25, 2024, showing police firing at protesters as they broke through barriers to enter parliament, created the biggest crisis of Ruto's presidency and sparked alarm among Kenya's international allies. Fifty-six people have been hospitalised, most of them with bullet wounds, after participating in rallies in Kenya to mark the one-year anniversary of deadly protests against a tax bill, a hospital source says. Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets to commemorate last year's demonstrations, in which more than 60 people died, with police firing tear gas and water cannon to disperse them in the capital Nairobi, according to local media and a Reuters witness. It was not immediately clear who had shot them, and Kenyan police spokesman Muchiri Nyaga declined to comment on the injuries. Some protesters clashed with police and an official at the capital's main Kenyatta National Hospital said the facility had received dozens of wounded people. "As at 16:00 hours, 56 patients had been admitted at KNH from the protest related injuries. Majority had rubber bullet injuries," the hospital source told Reuters, adding that no deaths had been reported at KNH. The source and Kenya's Citizen Television had earlier reported that at least 10 people were hospitalised. Large crowds were seen heading in the direction of State House, the president's office, in scenes broadcast by Kenyan channel NTV before it was pulled off the air after defying an order to stop live broadcasts of the demonstrations. The Communications Authority of Kenya's order was condemned by the Kenya Editors Guild, which called it "a gross violation of the constitution". "We have been switched off from all the signal broadcasters, now we are only live on YouTube and the website," a senior official at NTV's parent Nation Media Group told Reuters. Kenyan broadcaster KTN was also taken off air, it said on its Telegram channel, adding that it would continue to offer live coverage on YouTube, Facebook and X. Protesters torched court facilities in Kikuyu town on the outskirts of Nairobi, Citizen TV reported. Flames and thick smoke billowed from the court building in a video posted on the broadcaster's X account. Isolated clashes were reported in the port city of Mombasa, according to NTV, with protests also in the towns of Kitengela, Kisii, Matuu and Nyeri. Although last year's protests faded after President William Ruto withdrew proposed tax hikes, public anger has remained over the use of excessive force by security agencies, with fresh demonstrations this month over the death of a blogger in police custody. Six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder on Tuesday over the killing of 31-year-old blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang. All have pleaded not guilty. Ojwang's death has become a lightning rod for Kenyans still mourning those who perished at last year's demonstrations, blamed on security forces, against a backdrop of dozens of unexplained disappearances. "We are fighting for the rights of our fellow youths and Kenyans and the people who died since June 25... we want justice," Lumumba Harmony, a protester, told Reuters in Nairobi. The unprecedented scenes on June 25, 2024, showing police firing at protesters as they broke through barriers to enter parliament, created the biggest crisis of Ruto's presidency and sparked alarm among Kenya's international allies. Fifty-six people have been hospitalised, most of them with bullet wounds, after participating in rallies in Kenya to mark the one-year anniversary of deadly protests against a tax bill, a hospital source says. Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets to commemorate last year's demonstrations, in which more than 60 people died, with police firing tear gas and water cannon to disperse them in the capital Nairobi, according to local media and a Reuters witness. It was not immediately clear who had shot them, and Kenyan police spokesman Muchiri Nyaga declined to comment on the injuries. Some protesters clashed with police and an official at the capital's main Kenyatta National Hospital said the facility had received dozens of wounded people. "As at 16:00 hours, 56 patients had been admitted at KNH from the protest related injuries. Majority had rubber bullet injuries," the hospital source told Reuters, adding that no deaths had been reported at KNH. The source and Kenya's Citizen Television had earlier reported that at least 10 people were hospitalised. Large crowds were seen heading in the direction of State House, the president's office, in scenes broadcast by Kenyan channel NTV before it was pulled off the air after defying an order to stop live broadcasts of the demonstrations. The Communications Authority of Kenya's order was condemned by the Kenya Editors Guild, which called it "a gross violation of the constitution". "We have been switched off from all the signal broadcasters, now we are only live on YouTube and the website," a senior official at NTV's parent Nation Media Group told Reuters. Kenyan broadcaster KTN was also taken off air, it said on its Telegram channel, adding that it would continue to offer live coverage on YouTube, Facebook and X. Protesters torched court facilities in Kikuyu town on the outskirts of Nairobi, Citizen TV reported. Flames and thick smoke billowed from the court building in a video posted on the broadcaster's X account. Isolated clashes were reported in the port city of Mombasa, according to NTV, with protests also in the towns of Kitengela, Kisii, Matuu and Nyeri. Although last year's protests faded after President William Ruto withdrew proposed tax hikes, public anger has remained over the use of excessive force by security agencies, with fresh demonstrations this month over the death of a blogger in police custody. Six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder on Tuesday over the killing of 31-year-old blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang. All have pleaded not guilty. Ojwang's death has become a lightning rod for Kenyans still mourning those who perished at last year's demonstrations, blamed on security forces, against a backdrop of dozens of unexplained disappearances. "We are fighting for the rights of our fellow youths and Kenyans and the people who died since June 25... we want justice," Lumumba Harmony, a protester, told Reuters in Nairobi. The unprecedented scenes on June 25, 2024, showing police firing at protesters as they broke through barriers to enter parliament, created the biggest crisis of Ruto's presidency and sparked alarm among Kenya's international allies. Fifty-six people have been hospitalised, most of them with bullet wounds, after participating in rallies in Kenya to mark the one-year anniversary of deadly protests against a tax bill, a hospital source says. Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets to commemorate last year's demonstrations, in which more than 60 people died, with police firing tear gas and water cannon to disperse them in the capital Nairobi, according to local media and a Reuters witness. It was not immediately clear who had shot them, and Kenyan police spokesman Muchiri Nyaga declined to comment on the injuries. Some protesters clashed with police and an official at the capital's main Kenyatta National Hospital said the facility had received dozens of wounded people. "As at 16:00 hours, 56 patients had been admitted at KNH from the protest related injuries. Majority had rubber bullet injuries," the hospital source told Reuters, adding that no deaths had been reported at KNH. The source and Kenya's Citizen Television had earlier reported that at least 10 people were hospitalised. Large crowds were seen heading in the direction of State House, the president's office, in scenes broadcast by Kenyan channel NTV before it was pulled off the air after defying an order to stop live broadcasts of the demonstrations. The Communications Authority of Kenya's order was condemned by the Kenya Editors Guild, which called it "a gross violation of the constitution". "We have been switched off from all the signal broadcasters, now we are only live on YouTube and the website," a senior official at NTV's parent Nation Media Group told Reuters. Kenyan broadcaster KTN was also taken off air, it said on its Telegram channel, adding that it would continue to offer live coverage on YouTube, Facebook and X. Protesters torched court facilities in Kikuyu town on the outskirts of Nairobi, Citizen TV reported. Flames and thick smoke billowed from the court building in a video posted on the broadcaster's X account. Isolated clashes were reported in the port city of Mombasa, according to NTV, with protests also in the towns of Kitengela, Kisii, Matuu and Nyeri. Although last year's protests faded after President William Ruto withdrew proposed tax hikes, public anger has remained over the use of excessive force by security agencies, with fresh demonstrations this month over the death of a blogger in police custody. Six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder on Tuesday over the killing of 31-year-old blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang. All have pleaded not guilty. Ojwang's death has become a lightning rod for Kenyans still mourning those who perished at last year's demonstrations, blamed on security forces, against a backdrop of dozens of unexplained disappearances. "We are fighting for the rights of our fellow youths and Kenyans and the people who died since June 25... we want justice," Lumumba Harmony, a protester, told Reuters in Nairobi. The unprecedented scenes on June 25, 2024, showing police firing at protesters as they broke through barriers to enter parliament, created the biggest crisis of Ruto's presidency and sparked alarm among Kenya's international allies.
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First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
8 killed, 400 injured in Kenya anti-govt protests marking deadly 2024 demonstrations
The demonstrations, held to mark the anniversary of last year's deadly protests against a controversial tax bill, saw thousands take to the streets across the country read more Smoke rises as protestors participate in a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the 2024 anti-government protests that drew widespread condemnation over the use of force by security agencies, in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday. Reuters At least eight people were killed and 400 injured during nationwide anti-government protests in Kenya on Wednesday, according to the national human rights watchdog. The demonstrations, held to mark the anniversary of last year's deadly protests against a controversial tax bill, saw thousands take to the streets across the country. In Nairobi, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds, local media and a Reuters witness reported. Clashes broke out between protesters and police, and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said all eight reported fatalities were 'allegedly from gunshot wounds.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Over 400 casualties have been reported, including demonstrators, police officers and journalists,' KNCHR said in a statement shared on its official X account. The watchdog did not specify who was responsible for the shootings but pointed to a heavy police presence and 'allegations of excessive use of force, including rubber bullets, live ammunition, and water cannons,' which it said had caused numerous injuries. Kenyan police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the statement from the KNCHR, Reuters reported. An official at Kenyatta National Hospital, the capital's main medical facility, confirmed that dozens of injured individuals had been admitted. '107 admitted, most with gunshot injuries,' Reuters quoted the source as saying, referring to rubber bullets and live rounds. He added that no deaths had been reported at KNH. National electricity provider Kenya Power said one of its security guards was shot dead during the protests while patrolling its headquarters in Nairobi. Large crowds were seen earlier heading in the direction of State House, the president's official residence, in scenes broadcast by Kenyan channel NTV before it and another broadcaster KTN were pulled off the air after defying an order to stop live broadcasts of the demonstrations. Both channels resumed broadcasts later on Wednesday after a court in Nairobi suspended the order issued by the Communications Authority of Kenya. Anger against police Protesters torched court facilities in Kikuyu town on the outskirts of Nairobi, Citizen TV reported. Flames and thick smoke billowed from the court building in a video posted on the broadcaster's X account. Isolated clashes were reported in the port city of Mombasa, according to NTV, with protests also in the towns of Kitengela, Kisii, Matuu and Nyeri. Although last year's protests faded after President William Ruto withdrew proposed tax hikes, public anger has remained over the use of excessive force by security agencies, with fresh demonstrations this month over the death of a blogger in police custody. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder on Tuesday over the killing of 31-year-old blogger and teacher, Albert Ojwang. All have pleaded not guilty. Ojwang's death has become a lightning rod for Kenyans still mourning those who perished at last year's demonstrations, blamed on security forces, against a backdrop of dozens of unexplained disappearances. 'We are fighting for the rights of our fellow youths and Kenyans and the people who died since June 25… we want justice,' Lumumba Harmony, a protester, told Reuters in Nairobi. The unprecedented scenes on June 25, 2024, showing police firing at protesters as they broke through barriers to enter parliament, created the biggest crisis of Ruto's presidency and sparked alarm among Kenya's international allies. With inputs from agencies
