- Protests mark the 35th anniversary of pro-democracy rallies.
- The police fire to disperse large crowds of Nairobi demonstrators.
- The Interior Kenyan Minister called the “terrorism” of protests last month.
Kenyan police dismissed to disperse the demonstrators in Nairobi marking the 35th anniversary of the pro-democracy rallies on Monday, and the police said that 11 people had been killed nationally during the last anti-government demonstrations to end with blood effusions.
The death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody last month gave demonstrations a new momentum, fueling anger at the authorities and bringing hundreds in the street.
A Reuters The journalist saw the fire police during the progress of demonstrators in the suburbs of Nairobi in Kangemi, with a man later motionless on the road with a bleeding injury.
The suburban nursing home said six people had been admitted to injuries and that two had died of ball injury. A source at Kenyatta National Hospital said it was treating 24 people injured, but had not developed their injuries.
Armed gangs alongside the police
Kenya police said 11 people died, while 52 police officers were injured. He didn’t say who was responsible for killings.
“Preliminary reports indicate deaths, injuries, damage to motor vehicles and several looting incidents,” the police said in a statement.
The lawsmanships were deployed strongly in Nairobi since the demonstrations led by young people in June 2024 which were initially focused on tax increases but extended to cover questions such as corruption, police brutality and unexplained disappearances of government critics.
The police used tear gas on Monday and water cannons to disperse hundreds of demonstrators advancing along a road connecting Kangemi to downtown Nairobi.
A few hours later, the demonstrators and the police escaped, and a journalist from Reuters saw the police open fire while the crowd was charged to them.
The Government National Human Rights Commission funded by the government said it had seen “numerous hooded officers, not in uniform, traveling in unmarked vehicles”.
An order of the court obliges the police to be easily identifiable following allegations according to which the in civilian police dismissed demonstrators last year.
Knchr also said that criminal gangs brandishing whips and machetes seemed to operate alongside the police in Nairobi and in the city of Eldoret de Rift Valley.
The local media said that there had been demonstrations in the cities of Nyeri, Embu and the city on the shore of Lake Nakuru, where half a dozen police officers on dispersed stone demonstrators.
The police had blocked the main roads leading to Nairobi and restricted traffic in the city, leaving the streets deserted but for the demonstrators, who arrived on foot. Most schools and at least one shopping center have been closed in anticipation of problems.
High alert
The Minister of the Interior, Kipchumba Murkomen, who described demonstrations last month like “terrorism disguised as disguise,” said the government was determined to protect life and property.
“Our security agencies are very alert to decisively deal with criminals and other elements of poor intention that can seek to infiltrate peaceful processions to cause ravages, chaos or destruction of goods,” he said.
Activists gather every July 7 to mark the day in 1990 when the opponents of the president of the time, Daniel ARAP me, launched an attempt to transform Kenya into a multi -party democracy.
The demonstration is called “Saba Saba” – “Seven Seven” in Kiswahili – due to the date.
These events paved the way for the first multipart elections in more than two decades two years later.
The death of Ojwang, 31, a blogger and teacher, concentrated the anger of the public, causing a series of demonstrations last month.
On June 25, according to the Commission, 19 people lost their lives nationally in demonstrations to protest against the death of Ojwang and mark the first anniversary of the rallies that led to the storm of Parliament.
Six people, including three police officers, were accused of murder for the death of Ojwang. All pleaded “not guilty”.
