Kenya: More Than 270 Rounded Up In Anti-Government Rallies

Kenyan police have arrested more than 270 individuals accused of masquerading as protesters and allegedly engaging in criminal activities during anti-government rallies.

Eko Hot Blog reports that a statement made it known that 204 suspects were arrested in Nairobi, the capital, and another 68 in other parts of the country.

“Security forces across the country singled out suspects found engaging in criminal activities in the guise of protesting and took them to custody,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) stated in a post on X late on Tuesday.

“The DCI has further deployed scrupulous investigators across the affected regions to pursue suspects captured on CCTV cameras and mobile phone recordings violently robbing, stealing and destroying properties and businesses of innocent citizens,” the statement added.

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Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki condemned the protests, describing them as an “orgy of violence” and warned that the government would take action against those involved in “anarchic chaos and cruel plunder”.

“This reign of terror against the people of Kenya and the impunity of dangerous criminal gangs must end at whatever cost,” he said.

On Tuesday, riot police used tear gas and charged at stone-throwing protesters in central Nairobi and across Kenya, amidst widespread unrest following the death of at least two dozen protesters in clashes last week.

The demonstrations initially began in response to a controversial finance bill that introduced new taxes, exacerbating the struggles of people already facing a cost-of-living crisis. Although President William Ruto later abandoned the measure, protesters have since called for his resignation, using the hashtag “RutoMustGo” in their broader campaign against his rule. They have also rejected his calls for dialogue.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported that 39 people had been killed and 361 injured during two weeks of rallies, with the worst violence occurring in Nairobi on June 25. On Monday, the KNCHR condemned the use of force against demonstrators as “excessive and disproportionate”.

In Mombasa, Milan Waudo told Reuters, “People are dying in the streets, and the only thing he can talk about is money. We are not money. We are people. We are human beings. He [Ruto] needs to care about his people because if he can’t care about his people then we don’t need him in that chair.”

Reporting from Nairobi, Al Jazeera’s Zein Brasravi noted that the rallies are a “reflection” of the public’s anger following the deaths of protesters. “Protesters here say that they feel that their voices are still not heard and the government still doesn’t understand why they’re coming out and protesting,” he said on Wednesday.

Activists blamed Tuesday’s violence on infiltrators allegedly sent by the government to discredit their movement and said it was time to disperse. Despite this, more demonstrations have been scheduled for Thursday and Sunday.

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