Kisangya Hakuna Mchezo: Two Killed, Hundreds Arrested In Kenya Protests

A hospital official said that two people were killed on Wednesday after anti-government demonstrations in Kenya, and the interior ministry confirmed that over 300 additional people had been detained in connection with the disturbances.

Since March, veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga has led a number of rounds of anti-government protests that have alarmed the international world and prompted demands for a political settlement after earlier demonstrations left more than a dozen people dead.

Two people died in clashes between police and protesters in Kisumu, a stronghold of the opposition, according to George Rae, CEO of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Hospital.
“There are two bodies recorded at the mortuary with gunshot wounds,” he told AFP over the phone, adding that 14 other people were hospitalised.

On Wednesday night, Odinga’s Azimio alliance asked “Kenyans to come out in an even bigger way tomorrow” as part of a pledge to hold three consecutive days of protests this week.
Although there were fewer reports of injuries from rare fights and the protests in Nairobi and other towns appeared to be more subdued than in the past, Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki claimed the authorities had documented numerous instances of looting and vandalism.

According to Kindiki, “more than 300 people have been detained across the nation and will face charges for a number of offences, including looting, malicious property damage, arson, robbery with violence, and assaulting law enforcement.”

In Nairobi, Kisumu, and the port city of Mombasa, businesses and schools were shut down as small groups, largely of young men, set fire to tyres and engaged in running skirmishes with police.

Offices in the capital’s business sector were largely closed as police shot tear gas at sporadic groups of protesters in the Kibera slum of Nairobi and the towns of Homa Bay, Kisii and Migori, all of which are strongholds for Odinga.

Odinga has organised large protests against a government he claims is unconstitutional and accountable for a cost-of-living crisis for the third time this month.
The opposition has been charged by the administration with undermining economic improvement initiatives and causing turmoil.

During a visit to the Rift Valley village of Kericho, President William Ruto declared, “We do not want a country of violence, fighting, or destruction of property.
“The police must ensure that they are resolute in their pursuit of criminals, gang members, anarchists, and everyone else who wants to cause mayhem.”

Civil rights organisations have criticised the police for using excessive force when they fired live ammunition and used tear gas to disperse demonstrators throwing rocks.
A member of parliament who was later released was among the 312 people who were detained by police last week on suspicion of directly or indirectly planning, orchestrating, or funding the protests.

Kenyans, who are attempting to deal with high inflation and a jobs problem, are divided as a result of the protests.

A 47-year-old unemployed man named Fred Onzere told AFP that Kenya was “going in the wrong direction” and that he agreed with the protests.
Others claimed that the shutdowns would make the economy’s issues worse.
Businessman Peter Kajinji, 62, stated, “Even if we are (employed)… we can’t work.”
He told AFP that it would be preferable for our leaders to meet, discuss, and find a solution to the issue.

‘Resolve disagreements’

Former deputy president Ruto was elected president after narrowly defeating Odinga in the election last August. Odinga had said that the vote had been “stolen.”
However, he took government at a time when Kenya’s economy was in free fall due to debt and skyrocketing inflation, and he faced criticism for boosting taxes despite his campaigns to lower costs.

In the frequently tumultuous East Africa region, Kenya is seen as a stable democracy. On Tuesday, 13 western countries released a joint statement expressing alarm over the recent violence.

The foreign missions issued a statement saying, “We… urge all parties to present their concerns through a meaningful dialogue and resolve their differences peacefully to build the nation together, ensuring no further loss of life.”

After Ruto agreed to engage, Odinga cancelled his anti-government protests in April and May. However, the negotiations failed.

After Odinga lost the election in 2017, protests by the opposition persisted until he unexpectedly reached an agreement with his former rival, former president Uhuru Kenyatta, dubbed as “the handshake.”