Police blocked roads and heavily deployed in the deserted streets of Kenya's usually bustling capital on Monday to prevent gatherings to mark annual pro-democracy rallies after recent demonstrations descended into violent clashes. Many people appeared to be staying home rather than attend the so-called Saba Saba Day (meaning Seven Seven) marches to commemorate July 7, 1990 when Kenyans rose up to demand a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi.&nbsp;Around midday, AFP saw running battles with a group of anti-riot&nbsp;police who fired teargas at a small gathering of around 50 young men, with some of the crowd throwing rocks at officers. Young Kenyans, frustrated over economic stagnation, corruption and police brutality, are once again engaging in protests that have degenerated into looting and violence, leaving dozens dead and thousands of businesses destroyed.&nbsp;Protesters accuse the authorities of paying armed vandals to discredit their movement, while the government has compared the demonstrations to an "attempted coup". On Monday, the streets of central Nairobi were quiet after police mounted roadblocks on the main roads, restricting entry to areas that were the epicentre of previous rallies.Many businesses were closed for the day. "I have never witnessed the city centre like this," security guard Edmond Khayimba, 29, told AFP.&nbsp;Leading activist Hanifa Adan wrote on X: “The police getting rained on as they block every road while we stay at home warming our beds.” "Total shutdown and forced holiday executed by the state," she said. Local TV stations also showed small gatherings on Nairobi's outskirts and in several towns elsewhere.<h2>‘Ruto must go’&nbsp;</h2>Social media and rising economic expectations have fanned anger over inequalities in a country where around 80 percent are trapped in informal, poorly paid jobs. But a crackdown by the police -- at least 80 people have died in protests since June last year and dozens have been detained illegally -- has scared many off the streets.&nbsp;On Sunday, men, some armed with sticks, forced their way into the compound of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission during a press conference calling for an end to "enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings". Nairobi motorbike driver Rogers Onsomu, 32, told AFP that while town was deserted, he hoped demonstrators would come out later, and criticised Ruto's government.&nbsp;"What he has promised the country, (he) is not delivering," Onsomu said. “The youths are protesting because of many things, like healthcare.” "As the constitution say, the power belongs to people," he said. "So this slogan of 'Ruto Must Go'.&nbsp;We will not relent and we will keep it going each and every day."<h2>‘The world is different’</h2>Since being elected in 2022, President William Ruto has forged an alliance with the main opposition leader Raila Odinga, leaving no clear challenger ahead of the next vote in 2027.But each violent crackdown fuels further unrest, said activist Nerima Wako. "Every time people organise a protest, they kill more people, so it just continues to feed off itself," she said.&nbsp;The previous demonstration on June 25 -- intended to mark the peak of last year's deadly anti-government rallies -- turned violent and left 19 people dead, according to rights groups. Police made hundreds of arrests. Gabrielle Lynch, an African politics expert at Britain's University of Warwick, said the government appeared to be recycling tactics from the 1990s. "But we're not in the nineties," she said. "They don't seem to have realised the world is different."&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Nairobi tense as large police presence blocks protesters

Police blocked roads and heavily deployed in the deserted streets of Kenya's usually bustling capital on Monday to prevent gatherings to mark annual pro-democracy rallies after recent demonstrations descended into violent clashes. Many people appeared to be staying home rather than attend the so-called Saba Saba Day (meaning Seven Seven) marches to commemorate July 7, 1990 when Kenyans rose up to demand a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi. Around midday, AFP saw running battles with a group of anti-riot police who fired teargas at a small gathering of around 50 young men, with some of the crowd throwing rocks at officers. Young Kenyans, frustrated over economic stagnation, corruption and police brutality, are once again engaging in protests that have degenerated into looting and violence, leaving dozens dead and thousands of businesses destroyed. Protesters accuse the authorities of paying armed vandals to discredit their movement, while the government has compared the demonstrations to an "attempted coup". On Monday, the streets of central Nairobi were quiet after police mounted roadblocks on the main roads, restricting entry to areas that were the epicentre of previous rallies. Many businesses were closed for the day. "I have never witnessed the city centre like this," security guard Edmond Khayimba, 29, told AFP. Leading activist Hanifa Adan wrote on X: “The police getting rained on as they block every road while we stay at home warming our beds.” "Total shutdown and forced holiday executed by the state," she said. Local TV stations also showed small gatherings on Nairobi's outskirts and in several towns elsewhere. ‘Ruto must go’ Social media and rising economic expectations have fanned anger over inequalities in a country where around 80 percent are trapped in informal, poorly paid jobs. But a crackdown by the police -- at least 80 people have died in protests since June last year and dozens have been detained illegally -- has scared many off the streets. On Sunday, men, some armed with sticks, forced their way into the compound of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission during a press conference calling for an end to "enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings". Nairobi motorbike driver Rogers Onsomu, 32, told AFP that while town was deserted, he hoped demonstrators would come out later, and criticised Ruto's government. "What he has promised the country, (he) is not delivering," Onsomu said. “The youths are protesting because of many things, like healthcare.” "As the constitution say, the power belongs to people," he said. "So this slogan of 'Ruto Must Go'. We will not relent and we will keep it going each and every day." ‘The world is different’ Since being elected in 2022, President William Ruto has forged an alliance with the main opposition leader Raila Odinga, leaving no clear challenger ahead of the next vote in 2027. But each violent crackdown fuels further unrest, said activist Nerima Wako. "Every time people organise a protest, they kill more people, so it just continues to feed off itself," she said. The previous demonstration on June 25 -- intended to mark the peak of last year's deadly anti-government rallies -- turned violent and left 19 people dead, according to rights groups. Police made hundreds of arrests. Gabrielle Lynch, an African politics expert at Britain's University of Warwick, said the government appeared to be recycling tactics from the 1990s. "But we're not in the nineties," she said. "They don't seem to have realised the world is different." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

On Sunday (July 6), men, some armed with sticks, forced their way into the compound of the Kenyan Human Rights Commission during a press conference calling for an end to “enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings”

What started as a protest against a Finance Bill proposed by President William Ruto turned into a protest against police brutality and escalated into chaos across Nairobi and 23 other counties. They had no leader or face of the protest; they were armed with mobile phones and hashtags like #RejectFinanceBill2024, #OccupyParliament, and #GenZRevolution. Social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram helped them rally to the streets, and TikTok helped them conduct livestreams. The demonstrators marched with slogans like, "We are the government", "You messed with the wrong generation", and “Ruto Must Go.” They were met with a brutal crackdown."These guys have been killing our cousins. If you try to protest, these people just come and try to shoot. They shoot us actually with live bullets. Not rubber bullets," said Mohammed from Nairobi, as reported by the BBC.&nbsp;The Kenyan National Human Rights Committee said there were instances of using excessive force, including the use of rubber bullets, live ammunition and resulting in numerous injuries. At least 16 people were killed and 400 were injured in the Kenyan protest, including demonstrators, police officers and journalists on June 25, which marked the 1st anniversary of the GenZ demonstration. The Kenyan communication authority had issued a directive to stop broadcasting the demonstration, and some stations like NTV and KTN were pulled off-air for defying the ban.&nbsp;Last year's protest at first had no opposition leaders, no trade union calls, and it was just a spontaneous awakening, truly organic, decentralised, and led by young, unaffiliated Kenyans. There were slogans like “Not Azimio, not UDA. Just the people.” As the protest started to gain momentum, Leaders from the Azimio La Umoja opposition coalition (led by Raila Odinga) began to support the protests. &nbsp;But they were often not welcomed at youth-led rallies; youths feared that they wanted to ride the wave, instead of leading the rally.&nbsp;Civil society groups like Amnesty International Kenya, Kenya Human Rights Commission, Law Society of Kenya provided legal aid and documented abuse.&nbsp;Those protests against the Finance Bill left 60 dead and 20 missing. Even though Ruto repealed the Finance Bill, it was too late; the demand was now justice and accountability for the dead, the Resignation of Ruto and top ministers, jobs, housing, and real economic change. The government said these protests were infiltrated by foreign interference, but the claim was dismissed by civil society and protestors alike.&nbsp;This year, protestors started to rally over the death of a Kenyan blogger, Albert Ojwang, in police custody. Ojwang was arrested on Friday for posting objectionable information against a senior police official. There were also cries for accountability over the shooting of street hawker Boniface Kariuki in a public space.&nbsp;Kenya is in a difficult state with the rising state debt, and the finance bill was supposed to raise $2.7 billion with taxes on essentials like bread and fuel. It was a painful and pragmatic move to appease the IMF. But this was betrayal for Kenyan youth with unemployment at 67 per cent, a shrinking job market prompted them to take to the streets, where they met with brutality, culminating in a massive sentiment to oust the government of William Ruto.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Read how a protest that originated virtually among GenZ is raging on the streets of Nairobi, accumulating issues of unemployment, taxation, police brutality and state accountability, resulting in a political awakening of Kenya

What started as a protest against a Finance Bill proposed by President William Ruto turned into a protest against police brutality and escalated into chaos across Nairobi and 23 other counties. They had no leader or face of the protest; they were armed with mobile phones and hashtags like #RejectFinanceBill2024, #OccupyParliament, and #GenZRevolution. Social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram helped them rally to the streets, and TikTok helped them conduct livestreams. The demonstrators marched with slogans like, "We are the government", "You messed with the wrong generation", and “Ruto Must Go.” They were met with a brutal crackdown. "These guys have been killing our cousins. If you try to protest, these people just come and try to shoot. They shoot us actually with live bullets. Not rubber bullets," said Mohammed from Nairobi, as reported by the BBC. The Kenyan National Human Rights Committee said there were instances of using excessive force, including the use of rubber bullets, live ammunition and resulting in numerous injuries. At least 16 people were killed and 400 were injured in the Kenyan protest, including demonstrators, police officers and journalists on June 25, which marked the 1st anniversary of the GenZ demonstration. The Kenyan communication authority had issued a directive to stop broadcasting the demonstration, and some stations like NTV and KTN were pulled off-air for defying the ban. Last year's protest at first had no opposition leaders, no trade union calls, and it was just a spontaneous awakening, truly organic, decentralised, and led by young, unaffiliated Kenyans. There were slogans like “Not Azimio, not UDA. Just the people.” As the protest started to gain momentum, Leaders from the Azimio La Umoja opposition coalition (led by Raila Odinga) began to support the protests. But they were often not welcomed at youth-led rallies; youths feared that they wanted to ride the wave, instead of leading the rally. Civil society groups like Amnesty International Kenya, Kenya Human Rights Commission, Law Society of Kenya provided legal aid and documented abuse. Those protests against the Finance Bill left 60 dead and 20 missing. Even though Ruto repealed the Finance Bill, it was too late; the demand was now justice and accountability for the dead, the Resignation of Ruto and top ministers, jobs, housing, and real economic change. The government said these protests were infiltrated by foreign interference, but the claim was dismissed by civil society and protestors alike. This year, protestors started to rally over the death of a Kenyan blogger, Albert Ojwang, in police custody. Ojwang was arrested on Friday for posting objectionable information against a senior police official. There were also cries for accountability over the shooting of street hawker Boniface Kariuki in a public space. Kenya is in a difficult state with the rising state debt, and the finance bill was supposed to raise $2.7 billion with taxes on essentials like bread and fuel. It was a painful and pragmatic move to appease the IMF. But this was betrayal for Kenyan youth with unemployment at 67 per cent, a shrinking job market prompted them to take to the streets, where they met with brutality, culminating in a massive sentiment to oust the government of William Ruto.

Read how a protest that originated virtually among Gen Z is raging on the streets of Nairobi, accumulating issues of unemployment, taxation, police brutality and state accountability, resulting in a political awakening of Kenya

From twitter to teargas: How Gen Z is leading the largest political awakening of Kenya

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Nairobi tense as large police presence blocks protesters

How Gen Z is leading the largest political awakening of Kenya