The News
Protests rocked Nairobi on Wednesday, exactly one year since thousands of Kenyans stormed Parliament in opposition to proposed tax hikes.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the capital and other cities including Mombasa. The protests come amid growing anger at alleged police brutality. Three Kenyan police officers have been charged with the murder of a blogger in police custody that sparked fresh anti-government protests in recent weeks.
Protesters in Nairobi chanted against President William Ruto and extra-judicial killings, with a section vowing to march to his official residence. Chants included “Ruto must go.”
Eric Muriuki, a Nairobi-based lawyer who took part in the demonstration, told Semafor that young Kenyans were in the streets to demand justice for those killed in last year’s protests. “The killer police have still not been held accountable,” Muriuki said. He said bodies charged with investigating police excesses, such as the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), had failed to fulfil their constitutional mandate.
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A heavy police presence was seen across Nairobi on Wednesday with major roads leading into the central business district blocked by police. A razor wire perimeter was set up around Parliament.
The Kenyan government ordered TV and radio stations to stop broadcasting protests on Wednesday, reported AFP. The Communications Authority of Kenya said live coverage of the protests breached constitutional rules. It issued a memo in which it threatened regulatory action against media houses that flout the rule.
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The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has said that at least 60 people were killed in last year’s demonstrations with many more injured.
Notable
- The origins of the broader campaign against police brutality in Kenya are explored were explored by RFI in its Spotlight on Africa show.