- Protests mark the 35th anniversary of pro-democratic events.
- Police fire to spread large crowds of Nairobi demonstrants.
- The Kenyan Interior Minister called protests ‘terrorism’ last month.
Kenyan police fired to spread protesters in Nairobi who marked the 35th anniversary of pro-democratic rallies on Monday, and police said 11 people were killed nationwide in recent anti-government protests to end up in blood edition.
Blogger Albert Ojwang’s death in police custody last month has given the protests fresh driving, which burned anger against the authorities and brings hundreds on the streets.
ONE Reuters Reporter saw the police fire by promoting protesters in the Nairobi suburb Kangemi, where a man later lay moving -free on the road with a bleeding wound.
The enlargement’s Eagle Nursing Home said that six people had been hospitalized with injuries and that two had died of gunshot wounds. A source at Kenyatta National Hospital said it treated 24 wounded people but did not elaborate on their injuries.
Armed gangs along with police
Kenya’s police said 11 people had died while 52 officers had been injured. It did not say who was responsible for the killings.
“Preliminary reports indicate deaths, injuries, damage to motor vehicles and several incidents with looting,” police said in a statement.
Law enforcement has deployed strongly in Nairobi since youth -led protests in June 2024, which initially focused on tax increases, but expanded to cover questions such as corruption, police brutality and unexplained disappearance of government critics.
Police used tear gas and water cannons on Monday to spread hundreds of protesters moving along a road connecting Kangemi to the center of Nairobi.
Hours later, protesters and police went, and a Reuters reporter saw the police open fire when the crowd accused of them.
Government -funded Kenya National Commission for Human Rights (KNCHR) said it saw “several hood officers, not in uniform, traveling in unmarked vehicles”.
A court decision requires the police to easily be identified after accusations that police police fired live rounds on protesters last year.
KNCHR also said criminal gangs practicing whips and machetes seemed to operate with police in Nairobi and Rift Valley Town of Eldoret.
Local media said there had been demonstrations in the cities of Nyeri, Embu and Lakeside City Nakuru, where half a dozen police on horseback scattered stone-throwing protesters.
Police had blocked larger roads leading into Nairobi and limiting traffic in the city, leaving the streets desolate, but for the protesters who arrived on foot. Most schools and at least one shopping mall were closed in anticipation of problems.
High alarm
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, who last month described the protests as “terrorism disguised as the dissent,” said the government on Sunday was obliged to protect life and property.
“Our security agencies are across high alarms about dealing with criminals and other elements of poor intentions that can try to infiltrate peaceful processions to cause chaos, chaos or destruction of property,” he said.
Activists gather every 7 July to mark the day in 1990, when opponents of then -President Daniel Arap Moi launched a bid to make Kenya a multi -party democracy.
The protest is called “Saba Saba” – “Seven Seven” in Kiswahili – because of the date.
These protests paved the road two years later for the first choice of more parties in more than two decades.
The death of 31-year-old Ojwang, a blogger and teacher, has focused public anger, which equalized a series of demonstrations last month.
On June 25, according to the Commission, 19 people lost their lives nationwide in demonstrations to protest Ojwang’s death and mark the first anniversary of rallies culminating with the storm of parliament.
Six people including three police officers are indicted for killing Ojwang’s death. Everyone has invoked ‘not guilty’.
