At least 31 individuals lost their lives, and over 100 suffered injuries in a series of protests that swept through Kenya on Monday. This wave of unrest marks a significant backlash against the government led by President William Ruto, as ongoing discontent turned into clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reported these figures, noting that the violence prompted both police action and arrests.
Law enforcement employed live rounds, rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons in efforts to control the crowds, with police officers stationed at key locations throughout the capital, Nairobi. The unrest coincided with Saba Saba Day, a date that honors the inception of the country's multiparty democracy movement in 1990. Demonstrators took to the streets and erected barricades, chanting and exhibiting their opposition to the current administration.
Major roads leading to Nairobi’s central business district were heavily patrolled and blocked by armed police, resulting in a deserted urban landscape amidst the chaos. Some protesters engaged in confrontational gestures, throwing rocks, while others chose to dance in defiance of the police presence. Despite the heavy police crackdown, determined protestors continued to converge on the city to voice their grievances against rising living costs and government policies, signaling a deep-rooted dissatisfaction within the populace.
Law enforcement employed live rounds, rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons in efforts to control the crowds, with police officers stationed at key locations throughout the capital, Nairobi. The unrest coincided with Saba Saba Day, a date that honors the inception of the country's multiparty democracy movement in 1990. Demonstrators took to the streets and erected barricades, chanting and exhibiting their opposition to the current administration.
Major roads leading to Nairobi’s central business district were heavily patrolled and blocked by armed police, resulting in a deserted urban landscape amidst the chaos. Some protesters engaged in confrontational gestures, throwing rocks, while others chose to dance in defiance of the police presence. Despite the heavy police crackdown, determined protestors continued to converge on the city to voice their grievances against rising living costs and government policies, signaling a deep-rooted dissatisfaction within the populace.
