Kenya Protests Intensify: Demanding Accountability and Change

At least one person was killed during renewed anti-government protests across Kenya on Tuesday, as police clashed with demonstrators demanding that President William Ruto step down. Youth-led protests, which began a month ago against proposed tax hikes, have continued despite Ruto withdrawing the legislation and dismissing nearly all of his cabinet. Activists are now calling for systemic changes to address corruption and improve governance.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported on Tuesday that at least 50 people have been killed since the protests began. In Kitengela, a town on the southern outskirts of Nairobi, police fired repeatedly at hundreds of protesters, some of whom were throwing rocks. Demonstrators burned tires, waved Kenyan flags, and chanted “Ruto must go!” A Reuters reporter saw the body of one protester with a head wound. The national police spokesperson declined to comment.

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In a statement, the interior ministry said security agencies were instructed to exercise restraint. The demonstrations on Tuesday appeared to be some of the largest since Ruto withdrew the tax increases on June 26. The Nation newspaper reported protests in at least 23 of Kenya’s 47 counties.

In Nairobi’s city center, riot police fired tear gas at several dozen protesters, and medics were seen carrying away an injured person on a stretcher. In Nakuru, a journalist was injured, with television footage showing her bleeding from her thigh. Njeri Wa Migwi, an activist protesting in downtown Nairobi, said the demonstration was peaceful until the police started firing tear gas. “Today feels very insidious. It was like the police were out to get us,” she said.

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 on its debt, Ruto has been caught between the demands of lenders to cut deficits and a population struggling with rising living costs. “Ruto is very incompetent,” said one protester in Nairobi who did not give his name. “The guy is a puppet to the IMF.”

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been a major target of the ire of young Kenyan protesters, who accuse it of being the driving force behind the proposed tax hikes. The IMF has said its main goal through its lending programs with Kenya has been to help the country overcome economic challenges and improve its people’s well-being.

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 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, 413 people have been injured, 682 have been arbitrarily detained, and 59 have been abducted or are missing in connection with the protests, according to KNCHR. Ruto has promised to investigate accusations of abuse but has broadly defended the conduct of the police. Last week, he accepted the resignation of the national police chief, whose ouster had also been demanded by protesters.

On Monday, Ruto 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, stating it did not fund or sponsor the protests and has a strictly non-partisan policy for its grant-making.

Despite Ruto’s concessions, anti-government protesters in Kenya have returned to the streets, demanding more accountability and systemic change. In central Nairobi, shops were closed as police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators. The protests have continued unabated, driven by anger over bad governance, corruption, and police accountability for the deaths of demonstrators.

The demonstrator killed on Tuesday in Kitengela was carried by a crowd to a nearby police station, chanting “Ruto must go,” lighting fires on the road, and throwing stones at the police. Chaotic scenes were also witnessed in other parts of the country, including Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Nyeri. A reporter for Kenyan television station K24 was injured by a bullet while covering the protests in Nakuru and has been taken to the hospital for treatment.

Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper reported protests in nearly half of the country’s 47 counties. Earlier on Tuesday, the acting police chief said there was “credible intelligence” that “certain organised criminal groups” had planned “to infiltrate, disrupt and destabilise” the protests. Douglas Kanja urged protesting Kenyans to be “peaceful and vigilant” and to “cooperate and coordinate with the police” to ensure their safety and collective security.

Despite some concessions by the government, including the dismissal of his cabinet and the resignation of the inspector general of police, President Ruto faces mounting pressure from the protests. As the protests continue, the demand for accountability and systemic change remains strong among Kenya’s youth.