We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
At least 11 people have died and 567 people have been arrested due to police firing during anti-government demonstrations in Kenya, the police said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Eagle Nursing Home in the outskirts of the capital Nairobi. According to Aaron Sikuku told the BBC, the bodies of two people who died from gunshot wounds were brought to the health facility. He said that hundreds of protestors gathered outside the hospital and demanded that the bodies be taken away.
These demonstrations were held on 7 July 1990 to mark the 35th anniversary of the historic 'Saba Saba' (meaning 07-07) demonstration in Kenya. On July 7, 1990, the struggle for multi-party democracy in Kenya began. In a statement issued on Monday evening, the police claimed that "the security forces have shown extraordinary restraint and professionalism in dealing with the continuous violence and provocation". The statement said that 52 policemen and 11 civilians were injured.
The state-run Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said at least 10 people were killed. In its report, the Commission has accused the police of using excessive force and this pattern has been seen repeatedly in recent demonstrations.
"The police were mobilized in plainclothes vehicles without number plates," the commission said, "The protests broke out after they cooperated with armed criminal groups in Nairobi, Kajiado, Nakuru, Kiambu and Eldoret." The police denied the allegations of KNCHR. KNCHR has also stated that it has evidence of at least two kidnappings and that 29 people were injured and 37 people were arrested in different cities across the country.
The role of the Saba Saba demonstration is considered important for ending the one-party rule in Kenya and starting a multi-party democracy. Many people were arrested during the demonstration against the government of the then President Daniel Arap Moi and at least 20 people died. Since then, the July 7 Saba Saba protests have become a symbol of civil resistance and the fight for democratic freedom in Kenya.
In order to prevent a possible demonstration on July 7 this year, the Kenyan government stopped dozens of vehicles that were about to enter the capital Nairobi on Monday morning at a police station 10 kilometers away from the city. As a result, hundreds of passengers were stranded overnight. Barbed wire 'barricades' were installed at key government sites such as the President's residence 'State House' and the Kenyan Parliament Building. Some schools even requested students not to leave their homes on Monday. Clashes broke out in some parts of the capital when protesters tried to break the police cordon by lighting fires. The police used tear gas and water cannons.
According to Kenya's leading daily newspaper 'The Nation', the demonstration has spread to 17 of the 47 counties. According to the newspaper, one protester was shot dead and another was injured in Ol Kalou town. A shopping center was set on fire in the town of Makutano in Meru County, Eastern Kenya.
There was a clash between the police and protesters at Kamukunji, the main venue of the 'Saba Saba' demonstration in Nairobi. Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has expressed regret that he could not participate with Kenyans in the pre-scheduled 'Saba Saba' demonstration due to roadblocks and riots due to the demonstration. But he has sharply criticized the police force for indiscriminate firing on civilians as "evil" and saying that they are still "not freed from the tyranny of the colonial era". Odinga has also demanded a national dialogue to reform the country's police. He was arrested after the 'Saba Saba' protest in 1990. But last year he supported the government.
Jen-G's leadership
Monday's demonstration was organized primarily by the 'Gen-G' generation, demanding better governance, greater accountability and justice for victims of police brutality. Protests have been taking place in Kenya since last year after a controversial finance bill to raise taxes was introduced amid the country's growing crisis. Monday's demonstration is said to be the fiercest version. Although the Kenyan government repealed the bill in June 2024 due to public pressure, public anger has been growing especially after the death of a teacher in police custody and the death of a street trader due to police firing.
On June 25, at least 19 people were killed in an encounter with the police during an anti-tax demonstration. Monday's demonstration was held in honor of those killed in the same demonstration. According to CNN, security forces clashed with demonstrators near the main government buildings, including the parliament and the presidential residence in Nairobi. In a statement issued on Monday night, the Kenya National Police Service announced that all reported incidents of violence and abuse will be investigated in accordance with due process of law.
The government action took place after allegedly state-backed activists raided the office of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission on Sunday. According to CNN, the press conference organized to demand an end to arbitrary arrests, disappearances and killings of protesters was also disrupted. Kenya's Home Affairs Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said security agencies were on high alert to prevent criminals from infiltrating peaceful marches and causing unrest. He previously called last month's protests "terrorism in the guise of dissent," fueling public anger, according to CNN.
