One Killed as Kenyan Anti-Government Protests Intensify Again

NAIROBI, Reuters: At least one person was killed in renewed anti-government protests in Kenya on Tuesday, a Reuters reporter said, as police clashed with demonstrators demanding that President William Ruto step down.

Nationwide protests that broke out a month ago against proposed tax hikes have continued even after Ruto withdrew the legislation and fired almost all of his cabinet. Activists say they want Ruto to resign as well as systemic changes to clean up corruption and poor governance.

At least 50 people have been killed in the protests to date, according to the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).

In Kitengela, a town on the southern outskirts of the capital Nairobi, police opened fire on protesters who threw rocks, burned tyres and chanted “Ruto must go”, a Reuters reporter said.

The reporter saw the body of a protester lying on the ground with blood oozing from a head wound.

The national police spokesperson declined to comment.

Tuesday’s protests appeared to be some of the biggest since Ruto withdrew the tax increases on June 26, taking place in at least half a dozen towns and cities.

In Nairobi’s city centre, riot police fired tear gas at several dozen protesters. Demonstrators in the coastal city of Mombasa waved palm fronds as they marched, and footage from Kenyan television channels showed litter burning in the street.

DEBT CRISIS

The protests have created the biggest crisis of Ruto’s two years in power. With Kenya spending over 30% of its revenues just paying the interest bills on its debt, he has been caught between the demands of lenders to cut deficits and a hard-pressed population reeling from rising living costs.

Ruto’s office had announced “multi-sectoral” talks for this week to address grievances raised by the protesters, but there was no sign they had begun. Most of the leading activists behind the protests have rejected the invitation, instead calling for immediate action on issues like corruption.

Ruto’s spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

The protests began peacefully but later turned violent. Some demonstrators briefly stormed parliament on June 25, and the police opened fire.

In addition to the 50 deaths, 59 people have been abducted or are missing in connection with the protests, KNCHR said in a statement on Tuesday.

Ruto has promised to investigate accusations of abuse but has broadly defended the conduct of the police.

On Monday, he accused the Ford Foundation, an American philanthropic organisation, of sponsoring those who had caused “violence and mayhem” in Kenya, without providing evidence.

The Ford Foundation rejected the allegation, saying it did not fund or sponsor the protests and has a strictly non-partisan policy for its grant-making.