- Kenyans yesterday braved the heavily armed military and anti-riot police officers to storm the streets and protest against the government albeit on a reduced scale.
- Unlike Tuesday’s demos which were staged in at least 35 counties, Thursday’s protests happened in at least 10 counties with the number of participants reducing drastically.
Image: FILE
Kenyans yesterday braved the heavily armed military and anti-riot police officers to storm the streets and protest against the government albeit on a reduced scale.
Unlike Tuesday’s demos which were staged in at least 35 counties, Thursday’s protests happened in at least 10 counties with the number of participants reducing drastically.
President William Ruto’s move to the now abandoned controversial Finance Bill, 2024 that triggered the deadly protests and the heavy deployment of the Kenya Defence Force officers, can be attributed to the scale-down.
Yesterday, the demos were staged in Nairobi where heavily armed military officers were deployed in their numbers in a display of authority to ostensibly scare away the protesters.
At some point, the excited protesters cheered the military officers as they did patrol rounds around the city before they were dispersed by the police.
The central business district and its outskirts, especially the State House road, had a heavy presence of both police and military officers.
All entrances to the State House were blocked by the security officers.
The organisers of the demos had yesterday called for a march to the State House.
Kisumu, Kakamega, Mombasa, Migori, Kisii, Machakos, Kilifi, Makueni and Homa Bay are some of the counties where protests were staged.
In Nairobi, shops were closed for fear of looting as the police engaged protesters in running battles for the better part of the day.
The officers fired tear gas severally to disperse the crowds that attempted to march to Kenyatta Avenue, Tom Mboya Street, Moi Avenue and other major routes in the CBD.
Several protesters were arrested and bundled into the standby police lorries.
This happened even as the KDF officers, armed to the teeth, patrolled the city streets and major roads in armoured carriages.
The military officers and their artillery had assembled at Nyayo Stadium before they moved to the CBD and other roads.
The officers also surrounded Parliament Building which protesters breached on Tuesday in the deadly #OccupyParliament demos.
Pushed back by the security officers, the protestors retreated to the outskirts of the CBD where they burnt tyres and barricaded roads. However, the officers moved swiftly to contain them.
In Eldoret, KDF officers were deployed to reinforce police teams to man the town.
Several lorries of armed KDF officers patrolled the streets where hundreds of police officers had been deployed earlier.
Some KDF officers aboard two lorries visited the Uasin Gishu county headquarters to survey security.
The county was heavily affected during the protests against the Finance Bill. The county court and several vehicles were torched during the protests.
Uasin Gishu county government had earlier issued a communication warning over the circulation of fake information attributed to senior officials.
“This targeted campaign of deliberate misinformation is an attempt to disparage the office of the governor and his administration,” read a statement from Governor Jonathan Bii’s office
In Mombasa, the protesters stormed the streets from as early as 9.30am.
They peacefully marched on the streets of the coastal city, chanting ‘Ruto Must Go’ amid tight security.
At some point, however, police were forced to fire tear gas to disperse the suspected criminal youth who started robbing residents on Thursday afternoon.
Several people were injured when suspected criminal youths infiltrated the protesters to rob civilians.
All shops along Digo Road, Jomo Kenyatta Avenue and Moi Avenue were closed.
Anti-riot police had to use tear gas to disperse the youths, who engaged in running battles with the officers.
Francis Mulwa, a 21-year-old from VOK in Nyali, was among the victims. He was mugged at Fontannela roundabout and had his phone stolen.
"I tried to fight off the attacker, but a group came at me with crude weapons and stole my phone," Mulwa told the Star.
He sustained injuries to his abdomen, back and legs.
In Kilifi, protesters pelted police with stones as they marched towards Kilifi North Owen Baya’s home in Mwezang'ombe.
The officers tried to disperse the rioters using teargas and the rioters responded with stones.
The rioters barricaded the road to the MP's residence.
They barricaded the busy Kilifi-Malindi highway in Kwa Kazuri area using stones and tree branches. They torched tyres on the highway.
In Kericho, a road linking Kericho town and densely populated Nyagacho, Mjini and Motobo housing estates was well guarded by at least 20 anti-riot policemen.
The same scenario of police officers was witnessed at the entry of Kericho Green Stadium and Kipchimchim Road near Baraka Seventh Adventist Church.
Several business people who counted losses during Tuesday's demos welcomed the President’s change of heart to drop the bill in totality. They appealed to the head of state to ensure he walked the talk.
"Convene urgent Parliament sitting to withdraw the bill in totality,” a businessman who declined to be named said.
As early as 6am anti-riot police in full combat gear patrolled town streets and markets areas to deal with goons who had taken an opportunity to continue with the demos.
Shops that closed indefinitely Tuesday evening reopened Wednesday and Thursday upon learning that all was well.
In Kisii, pockets of youths returned to the streets in Kisii town, this time asking President Ruto to resign from office.
They said they had already lost faith with his administration and it would be proper that he vacates office.
"Forcing down a bad bill was evil enough for us, it shows his conduct as the President and he can only do us as a favour if he goes home, not tomorrow, not next week, just now," said Geoffrey Bosire an agitator leading the demos.
Deploying the armed forces to quell riots in the streets, added the agitator, marks a significant low for the Kenya Kwanza administration.
The irate protesters tried to storm the rural home of Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda who voted for the controversial bill.
A contingent of anti-riot police officers were deployed at the MP’s home to guard against attacks from agitated youth.
After the vote, Jhanda took to social media and asked the youth to give Ruto time to deliver on his election pledges.
“The government is doing all it can. The President has done so well on the international stage. Why do we want to water down what he has achieved so far?” he posed.
In Makueni, youths blocked the busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway in Makindu township as they protested against the government.
Meanwhile in Homa Bay, at least 11 people were injured, some with gunshot wounds. They were taken to the County Teaching and Referral Hospital.