Kenya Protest Turns Deadly as 11 Killed, Hundreds Arrested

At least 11 people were confirmed dead and hundreds arrested across Kenya following Monday’s anti-government protests, as police clashed with demonstrators in several parts of the country, including the outskirts of Nairobi.

The Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) condemned the excessive use of force by security forces and accused police of working alongside criminal gangs during the nationwide protests held to mark Saba Saba Day.

The protests, commemorating the July 7, 1990 uprising that pushed for multi-party democracy during the autocratic rule of Daniel arap Moi, saw heavy security deployment that left much of central Nairobi deserted.

In a statement, KNCHR revealed it “had documented ten fatalities, twenty-nine injuries” across 17 counties. Later on Monday, the National Police Service (NPS) issued its own statement confirming 11 deaths, with 52 officers and 11 civilians wounded.

From midday, security forces reportedly fired tear gas at scattered groups of protesters, some of whom retaliated with stones and looted property in parts of Nairobi. Demonstrators, many of them young people angered by economic hardship and corruption, chanted slogans like “Ruto Must Go” and “wantam” (meaning “one term”), referring to President William Ruto.

“I have never witnessed the city centre like this,” said security guard Edmond Khayimba, 29, describing the unusually empty streets and closed shops in the capital.

While central areas were heavily guarded, groups gathered in surrounding neighbourhoods. Witnesses reported injuries and acts of vandalism as protesters attempted to access the city.

KNCHR raised alarm over the presence of “criminal gangs wielding crude weapons, including whips, wooden clubs, machetes, spears, bows and arrows,” claiming these hooded men were “seen operating alongside police officers” in counties including Nairobi.

In response, NPS spokesperson Michael Muchiri dismissed the allegations, stating the KNCHR’s claims “may lack factualness many times over.” He added that the police “would never work alongside individuals called ‘goons’ or criminal elements.”

In a follow-up statement, Muchiri confirmed that 567 people had been arrested during the protests, though no further breakdown was provided.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen acknowledged that criminals had infiltrated recent protests with the intent to cause “chaos and destruction.” He noted in a statement that the presence of security personnel had helped reduce looting and violence but stressed that perpetrators would be “investigated and charged.”

The latest wave of protests is being driven by frustration over economic inequality, high unemployment, and perceived government failures. Although demonstrations have become more frequent, a harsh police response — with at least 80 deaths recorded since June 2023 — has kept many potential protesters away.

Rogers Onsomu, a 32-year-old motorbike rider in Nairobi, expressed hope that more citizens would join the protest movement.

“What he has promised the country, (he) is not delivering,” Onsomu said, referring to President Ruto.

Since his 2022 election, Ruto has formed a fragile alliance with opposition leader Raila Odinga, leaving no strong rival ahead of the 2027 elections. But activist Nerima Wako warned that each violent crackdown only intensifies public anger.

“Every time people organise a protest, they kill more people, so it just continues to feed off itself,” she said.

The June 25 protests, meant to mark the peak of last year’s unrest, ended in bloodshed, with rights groups reporting at least 19 deaths.