Kenyan Anniversary Protests Turn Violent, Leave Two Dead
Marches in Kenya to mark a year since massive anti-government demos turned violent on Wednesday, with two killed and running battles between protesters and police, who flooded Nairobi’s streets with tear gas and sealed off government buildings with barbed wire.
At least 60 people were killed last year by security forces in weeks of protests over tax rises and the dire economic situation for young Kenyans, peaking when a huge crowd stormed parliament on June 25.
Thousands gathered in central Nairobi and other towns on Wednesday, including the families of last year’s victims, for initially peaceful anniversary marches.
They soon descended into chaos as scattered groups ripped up flagstones to throw projectiles at security forces and chanted for the resignation of President William Ruto.
“We are marching against police brutality, against oppression by the government, against high taxation, everything that is going wrong in this country,” said Anthony, 25, who was also selling flags and did not want to give his full name.
Two people were shot and killed in the town of Matuu, around 100 kilometres (65 miles) from the capital, a hospital official said, with local media reporting that police had fired at protesters.
At least one police officer and several demonstrators were injured in Nairobi, while a man suspected of being a plain-clothed officer was manhandled by the crowd.
Last year, unidentified police officers were seen shooting protesters.
By late afternoon, local media showed huge crowds were still heading down main roads towards the business district, though blocked by police.
The government ordered TV and radio stations to halt live coverage of the protests, which gained momentum beyond the capital, including in the port city of Mombasa.
NetBlocks, a global internet tracker, said social media platform, Telegram, had been restricted.
“We are here as the young generation. We want a complete overhaul of the system, the system is rotten, the system is rogue,” said a protester, Florence Achala, in Nairobi.
