Nairobi: One person was killed and at least 17 others injured during nationwide protests in Kenya on Wednesday, as citizens marked the anniversary of the deadly 2024 anti-taxation protests. According to media reports, the unrest claimed lives and resulted in numerous injuries as tensions escalated across the country.
According to Anadolu Agency, at least 10 people, including a female police officer with head injuries, were admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. In Machakos County, gunfire resulted in the death of one individual, while at least seven others were hospitalized in Matuu with gunshot wounds. Police responded to the protests with tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.
Protesters set ablaze Kikuyu Law Courts, stormed a police station, and ignited bonfires within government offices in a town near Nairobi. In response to the protests, the Communications Authority (CA) ordered all television and radio stations to cease live coverage, warning of regulatory actions against non-compliance.
The Kenya Editors' Guild (KEG) condemned the CA's directive, labeling it as unconstitutional state censorship. They urged Kenyan media to uphold the 2023 High Court ruling that prohibited such censorship and demanded the immediate restoration of broadcasting signals for several independent media houses that were shut down.
Global internet watchdog NetBlocks reported live data indicating restrictions on Telegram in Kenya, raising concerns about a potential wider internet shutdown. Kenyan President William Ruto called for peaceful protests, urging the nation to avoid chaos and property destruction, as reported by the Kenyans website.
Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets on Wednesday to commemorate the first anniversary of the anti-Finance Bill demonstrations on June 25, 2024. The protests, sparked by public anger over rising living costs and tax policies, led to the storming of parliament, police gunfire, and more than 60 deaths. President Ruto's administration faced criticism over its handling of the protests, which also resulted in extensive property damage.
In the aftermath, the government acknowledged fatalities and disappearances associated with the unrest. President Ruto dissolved nearly his entire Cabinet in July, retaining only Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and pledged to form a broad-based government. Demonstrations in cities like Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa were among the most intense during this period.