The shooting of an unarmed person by a police officer in Nairobi triggered widespread protests against the city police amid heightened tensions over 'deteriorating' democratic freedom in Kenya.
On Tuesday, a 22-year-old face mask vendor was shot during a protest over the death of teacher and blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang while in police custody.
Reports claimed that the vendor was caught in the cross-hairs of a clash between the protesters and some masked goons. The police opened fire to control the clashes, during which Ojwang suffered bullet injuries.
There were speculations that the police had ties with the goons, but the authorities swiftly denied the allegations, suggesting they did not authorise or support such unlawful groupings.
They have since declared that the officer responsible for the shooting of the unarmed bystander was arrested, and an inquiry is underway.
The judiciary also released a statement saying that it is committed to “uphold justice” in every case, including instances of police brutality.
Tensions in Kenya have been high for the past year, initially due to Gen-Z-initiated protests over the Tax bill in 2024, which was later reversed. A new bill is expected to come into effect on July 1, 2025.
Demonstrations picked up again after the death of a 31-year-old blogger in police custody under unclear circumstances. The police officer being held responsible for the death of the blogger is being demanded to resign by protesters.
Kenya’s long history of political violence at the hands of armed mobs has escalated, with the public calling for an end to the brutality. Earlier this year, Kenyan President Ruto was also accused of funding goons to follow him on a tour in Nairobi to prevent any protest-like situations.
While these allegations were denied by the president, the tour was cut short amid escalating violence and robberies.
Representatives from human and civil rights groups such as Kongamano La Mapinduzi told AFP, “We are turning into a lawless country […] We see hundreds of paid goons, with whips and weapons, crude weapons, coming to brutalize our people.”
