Two people have reportedly died of gunshot wounds after police opened fire during protests in Kenya, the latest in a wave of anti-government rallies that began last year.
Dr Aron Sikuku, a medic at Eagle Nursing Home in Kangemi on the outskirts of Nairobi, told the BBC that two bodies had been taken to the facility and had died from gunshot wounds. He said hundreds of protesters had gathered outside his hospital demanding to take away the bodies.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation of the deaths.
The demonstrations mark the 35th anniversary of the historic Saba Saba (7 July 1990) protests that launched Kenya’s push for multiparty democracy.
From early morning, security forces blocked all major roads into central Nairobi ahead of the protests. The city centre appeared deserted, with businesses shut and a heavy police presence on the streets.
Elsewhere in Nairobi, clashes broke out as demonstrators lit fires and attempted to breach police cordons. Officers responded with tear gas and water cannon.
The police fired tear gas to disperse people on Thika Road, as well as in Kitengela, a town on the outskirts of the capital. In Kamukunji, near the venue where the original Saba Saba protests were held, police battled groups of protesters who lit fires on the streets.
The rest of the country was largely quiet, although some clashes were reported.
Earlier, hundreds of early-morning commuters and overnight travellers were stranded at checkpoints, some more than 10km (six miles) from the city centre, with only a few vehicles allowed through.
Within the city, roads leading to key government sites – including the president’s official residence, State House, and the Kenyan parliament – were barricaded with razor wire.
Some schools advised students to stay at home.
By mid-morning on Monday, hundreds of overnight passengers remained stranded outside the city centre, with major roads still closed.
Some long-distance buses were parked in Kabete, about 13km from the city centre, with many passengers who could not afford to pay extra money for motorcycle rides to their destinations remaining there.
Humphrey Gumbishi, a bus driver, said they had started their journey on Sunday evening only to find the police road block in the morning.
“We started travelling at 8:30pm last night… We want the government to engage in a dialogue with Gen Zs so all this can come to an end,” he told the BBC
Source: BBC
