Kenyan police arrest 355 during protest anniversary events
Police used barricades and tear gas as Kenyans marked two years since deadly anti-tax demonstrations in Nairobi and elsewhere.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Kenyan authorities arrested 355 people on Thursday as demonstrators marked the second anniversary of deadly anti-government protests over tax rises, Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said. The response underscored continuing anger over police conduct and demands for accountability after at least 60 people were killed in the 2024 unrest, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
Murkomen said the arrests took place in several parts of the country and described those detained as “criminals.” He also apologised for the disruption caused by barricades and other security measures, saying they had helped secure Nairobi and other areas, according to Al Jazeera, AP and Reuters.
In Nairobi, police blocked roads in the central business district and deployed water-cannon trucks, Al Jazeera reported. Shops and restaurants in the area stayed shut as the security operation unfolded.
A Reuters correspondent saw police fire tear gas at people who had gathered peacefully outside a Nairobi police station. The crowd had assembled after officers detained six people outside parliament, where they had placed flowers, Reuters reported.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said organisers had planned events to remember those killed two years earlier, when protesters entered parliament grounds during demonstrations against a finance bill. The 2024 protests were youth-led and became a major challenge to President William Ruto’s government, according to Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera correspondent Malcom Webb, reporting from Nairobi, said the government appeared intent on preventing a repeat of the events of 2024. He said the anniversary came after recent protests by Ruto’s political opponents and transport unions, as well as wider public discontent linked to fuel price increases and the unresolved fallout from the earlier crackdown.
Opposition leaders joined families of those killed and people described by Al Jazeera as victims of alleged police brutality before the group moved toward parliament. Edith Wanjiku, whose 19-year-old son Ibrahim Kamau was killed in 2024, said parents had sought permission to mourn and leave flowers but were blocked by police.
Wanjiku appealed to Ruto for justice and compensation, saying the officers responsible for killing children were known. Her comments reflected a broader demand by protest organisers, who have called for a credible investigation into police actions and assurances that excessive force will not be used at future demonstrations, according to Al Jazeera.
Ruto has acknowledged what he called cases of excessive and extrajudicial conduct by security officers, Al Jazeera reported. He said last week that the government had allocated two billion Kenyan shillings, or about $15.5 million, for victims of protest-related abuses.
Some activists said the compensation plan did not go far enough, according to Al Jazeera. The anniversary events showed that the deaths from 2024 remain a live political issue in Kenya, with families and organisers still pressing for accountability from the state.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.