Kenyan police ban protest in central Nairobi as anti-government unrest escalates – Zimbabwe Post

NAIROBI — Kenyan police have indefinitely banned demonstrations in central Nairobi after weeks of anti-government protests that were infiltrated by organized crime gangs. Despite a heavy police presence across Nairobi, activists called for a mass rally Thursday to “occupy” Uhuru Park near the city center.

Protests by young people sparked by proposed tax hikes have left at least 50 people dead in the past month. The unrest persisted even after President William Ruto withdrew the bill and sacked almost his entire cabinet. Activists are now calling for Ruto’s resignation and sweeping reforms to tackle corruption and poor governance.

“We have credible intelligence that organised criminal groups are planning to exploit the ongoing protests to carry out attacks, including looting,” Police Commissioner Douglas Kanja Kirijo said in a statement late Wednesday. “To ensure public safety, no demonstrations will be permitted in Nairobi’s central business district and its environs until further notice.”

The protests, organized largely online and with no visible support from opposition politicians, pose the biggest challenge yet to Ruto’s two years in power. To appease protesters, Ruto recently pledged to form a broad government, but the opposition coalition rejected that proposal on Wednesday, calling instead for a constitutional convention.

While the rallies began peacefully, they frequently turned violent, and on June 25 some demonstrators briefly stormed parliament, leading to police shooting.

Ruto’s office had planned to hold “multi-sector” talks this week to address protesters’ grievances, but as of Thursday there was no sign those discussions had taken place. Most protest leaders declined the invitation, calling for immediate action on corruption and other issues.

“(The police and President Ruto) have no right to suspend rights guaranteed by the Constitution,” activist Boniface Mwangi wrote on social media platform X in response to the protest ban.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) also issued a warning to the media, urging them not to “perpetuate” violence in their coverage of the protests as this could lead to large-scale civil unrest. CA head David Mugonyi criticised some media for compromising objectivity and balance in their coverage of crime, security operations and crisis situations.

Source: Reuters

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