CLASHES ERUPT IN KENYA AS CITIZENS MARK ANNIVERSARY OF DEADLY ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS

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Agency report

Demonstrations in Kenya turned tense on Wednesday as citizens marked the first anniversary of the violent anti-government protests that shook the country last year. Protesters clashed with police who responded with tear gas and secured key government buildings using barbed wire.

The commemorations come a year after security forces killed at least 60 people during weeks of unrest sparked by tax hikes and worsening economic conditions, particularly affecting the youth. The violence peaked on June 25, 2023, when demonstrators stormed parliament.

While families of victims and civil society groups had urged for peaceful marches, others called to “OccupyStateHouse,” referencing the official residence of President William Ruto.

In anticipation of potential unrest, many schools and businesses across the country were closed.

What began as peaceful demonstrations quickly descended into chaos.

AFP journalists reported injuries to at least one police officer and several protesters. Protesters pulled up flagstones to hurl at police and lit small fires throughout Nairobi’s central business district.

In one instance, a man suspected of being an undercover officer was manhandled by demonstrators — a reminder of last year, when unidentified officers were caught on video firing on protesters.

Authorities sealed off major roads and heavily guarded State House and parliament with barbed wire, where protesters laid flowers in memory of those killed last year. The crowd, largely made up of young men, waved Kenyan flags and placards bearing victims’ photos while chanting, “Ruto must go.”

“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 also sold flags but withheld his full name.

Similar protests were held in Mombasa and other counties.

“People who are running here… they have degrees but they don’t have jobs. You cannot depend on this government right now,” said Samson Watenge Nyongesa, 31, speaking from Nairobi’s streets.

Anger has intensified in recent weeks following the death of a teacher in police custody, adding to concerns over growing brutality.

Western diplomatic missions in Kenya — including those from Britain, Germany, and the United States — released a joint statement condemning “the use of hired ‘goons’ to infiltrate or disrupt peaceful gatherings.” Although these “goons” were not visibly present on Wednesday, police still deployed large volumes of tear gas and used water cannons to disperse crowds.

Political analyst and lawyer Javas Bigambo expressed concern that opportunistic political actors could take advantage of the tense atmosphere.

“There is nothing good to celebrate about the events that happened last year,” he said. “If we were serious about commemorating June 25th, it should be in solemnity, prayer and restraint.”

President Ruto, who was elected in 2022 on a platform of economic reform, is now facing deepening disillusionment. Public frustration has surged due to continued corruption, economic stagnation, and tax burdens, despite the government’s decision to abandon an unpopular finance bill after last year’s protests.

Although the government has avoided introducing direct tax hikes in 2025, human rights groups say over 80 government critics have gone missing since last year, with dozens still unaccounted for. Many now fear a return to Kenya’s authoritarian era of the 1980s and 1990s.

Despite having previously pledged to end forced disappearances, Ruto appeared defiant in a speech on Tuesday, stating he would “stand by” the police.

— AFP