University student killed and more than 200 arrested in Kenya protests
Demonstrators take to the streets to march against President William Ruto and the high cost of living
21 March 2023 - 17:15
UPDATED 21 March 2023 - 21:30
byElias Biryabarema and Humphrey Malalo
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Riot police use water cannon against supporters of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga in Nairobi, Kenya, March 20 2023. Picture: THOMAS MUKOYA/REUTERS
A university student in Kenya was killed and more than 200 people arrested in nationwide protests on Monday against President William Ruto’s government over high living costs, police said.
Protesters took to the streets of the capital, Nairobi, and several other cities in response to a call for demonstrations by opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Some lit fires in the streets and threw rocks at police. Police fired teargas and water cannon, including at Odinga’s convoy as he addressed supporters from the sunroof of his car. Police said 24 officers were injured in the clashes. They gave no figure for injuries among the protesters.
The person killed, a student at Maseno University in western Kenya, was shot in the neck by the police when officers fired live rounds after running out of tear gas canisters and blank rounds, according to a police report seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
The report said the officers were confronting students who had set fires in the road and vandalised local businesses.
"The unwarranted day-long stand-off that was witnessed in Nairobi and Kisumu yesterday amounts to nothing short of violence against police and economic sabotage," the police said in a statement on Tuesday.
Odinga, 78, cited the high cost of staples such as maize flour, which has kept inflation high, in calling for protests. He also accuses Ruto of cheating in last year’s presidential election, the fifth in a row in which Odinga finished runner-up.
Odinga challenged the result last year before the Supreme Court, which upheld Ruto’s victory.
On Tuesday, Odinga increased his call for weekly protests to twice per week, Mondays and Thursdays, starting from March 27.
At least four legislators were among those arrested during the protests, including the leaders of Odinga’s faction in both houses of parliament. They were released on bail and will appear in court on Thursday to answer charges of unlawful assembly, their lawyer, Danstan Omari, said.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
University student killed and more than 200 arrested in Kenya protests
Demonstrators take to the streets to march against President William Ruto and the high cost of living
A university student in Kenya was killed and more than 200 people arrested in nationwide protests on Monday against President William Ruto’s government over high living costs, police said.
Protesters took to the streets of the capital, Nairobi, and several other cities in response to a call for demonstrations by opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Some lit fires in the streets and threw rocks at police. Police fired teargas and water cannon, including at Odinga’s convoy as he addressed supporters from the sunroof of his car. Police said 24 officers were injured in the clashes. They gave no figure for injuries among the protesters.
The person killed, a student at Maseno University in western Kenya, was shot in the neck by the police when officers fired live rounds after running out of tear gas canisters and blank rounds, according to a police report seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
The report said the officers were confronting students who had set fires in the road and vandalised local businesses.
"The unwarranted day-long stand-off that was witnessed in Nairobi and Kisumu yesterday amounts to nothing short of violence against police and economic sabotage," the police said in a statement on Tuesday.
Odinga, 78, cited the high cost of staples such as maize flour, which has kept inflation high, in calling for protests. He also accuses Ruto of cheating in last year’s presidential election, the fifth in a row in which Odinga finished runner-up.
Odinga challenged the result last year before the Supreme Court, which upheld Ruto’s victory.
On Tuesday, Odinga increased his call for weekly protests to twice per week, Mondays and Thursdays, starting from March 27.
At least four legislators were among those arrested during the protests, including the leaders of Odinga’s faction in both houses of parliament. They were released on bail and will appear in court on Thursday to answer charges of unlawful assembly, their lawyer, Danstan Omari, said.
Reuters
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