(Al Jazeera Media Network) Several protesters were killed and at least 400 others were wounded on Wednesday when anti-government protests turned deadly in the capital, Nairobi.
Kenyan officials have not disclosed the number of casualties. Reports from media and rights groups varied, placing the number of dead between eight and 16.
This is the latest outbreak of violence in the East African country where young demonstrators have frequently taken to the streets in recent months to protest myriad issues including police brutality, government corruption and high taxes.
The demonstrations on Wednesday were held to mark the bloody June 25, 2024, protests against tax rises when police opened fire on large numbers of protesters, killing at least 60, according to rights groups.
During a televised speech on Thursday, Kenyan Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen blamed protesters for the violence. He described the demonstrations as “terrorism disguised as dissent”, and accused protesters of attempting to carry out a coup against the government.
Thousands took to the streets in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisii and several other major Kenyan cities in the early hours of Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the violent 2024 anti-tax protests.
Bearing Kenyan flags, the protesters chanted slogans such as “Ruto Must Go” and “Occupy Statehouse” in opposition to President William Ruto’s government and referring to his official residence.
Banks and schools in Nairobi’s central business district were shut in anticipation of the protests, and police had cordoned off the State House, as well as the parliament building, with layers of barbed wire. Last year, protesters broke into the parliament block, chasing out politicians and setting parts of the building on fire.
Wednesday’s march was largely peaceful at first – and much smaller compared with last year’s protests. Scenes in Nairobi, however, turned violent after “goons” – or men believed to be undercover security officials and armed with whips and clubs – attacked the protesters. Police also used live fire, rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
Shops and businesses in central Nairobi were attacked, looted and burned by unidentified groups among the demonstrators. Some protesters burned security barricades in the city and physically attacked suspected plain-clothed officers.
In Kikuyu town, about 20 km from Nairobi, protesters stormed and torched local government buildings, including a police station and courtroom. Some were arrested by the police but have not been identified. In other cities, including Mombasa, marches remained peaceful.
Clashes were also reported in the towns of Matuu and Mlolongo in the eastern Machakos County, approximately 100 km from the capital. Violence was also reported in Karatina, Nyeri County.
Figures vary and the Kenyan authorities have not confirmed the number of dead.
According to a joint statement issued on Wednesday evening by the Kenya Medical Association, Law Society of Kenya, and the Police Reforms Working Group, eight people were killed, most of them in Nairobi. The group said 400 others were being treated for injuries, including three police officers. Of those, 83 people sustained serious injuries, including at least eight protesters treated for gunshot wounds.
However, Irungu Houghton, the head of Amnesty Kenya, told Reuters that 16 people had died, adding that this figure had been verified by the global rights watchdog and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/26/at-least-eight-killed-in-deadly-kenya-protests-what-we-know
