NAIROBI, Kenya — At least six protesters were confirmed dead and 56 others seriously injured during nationwide demonstrations in Kenya on Wednesday, as citizens marked one year since last year’s mass anti-government protests sparked by economic grievances and tax reforms.
The protests, which turned violent in multiple parts of the country including the capital Nairobi, were intended to commemorate the deadly 2024 Gen Z-led uprising. That movement saw more than 60 Kenyans lose their lives to police action during weeks of demonstrations against the government’s finance bill and mounting cost of living.
In Matuu, a town about 100 kilometres (65 miles) northeast of Nairobi, local hospital administrator Julius Makau confirmed the death of one protester from abdominal gunshot wounds. “He died from excessive bleeding,” said Makau. “We also received an alert of another gunshot victim at a nearby hospital, but the individual had already succumbed by the time we arrived.”
While it remains unclear who fired the live rounds, local newspaper The Nation reported that police had opened fire in certain protest flashpoints. Police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga declined to comment when reached by Prime Africa News regarding the shootings and hospitalisations.
In Nairobi, the protests descended into chaos as demonstrators clashed with riot police, prompting running battles through the Central Business District. Officers deployed tear gas and rubber bullets in an attempt to disperse crowds that had gathered to honour last year’s protest victims and reignite calls for government accountability.
A medical official at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) told Prime Africa News that the facility received “56 patients with protest-related injuries” by 4:00 PM Wednesday. “The majority suffered rubber bullet wounds,” the source confirmed, adding that no fatalities had been reported at KNH by that time.
Five police officers Nation-wide were reported injured in various regions, including a female officer who sustained a head injury on Banda Street in central Nairobi. The officer was part of a law enforcement unit monitoring the protests. Eyewitnesses said the area was clouded in tear gas and heavy commotion when the officer collapsed under unclear circumstances.
The anniversary protests, largely driven by civil society groups and youth networks, particularly from the Gen Z demographic, were aimed at drawing attention to the lack of justice for the dozens killed in last year’s demonstrations and to demand reforms in policing and governance.
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