Kenya Police Fire Tear Gas As Protesters Defy Ban…

A Kenya Police Officer shoots a tear gas canister to disperse some protesters as they gather to demonstrate in Nairobi, Kenya on July 12, 2023.

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has called once again for countrywide demonstrations on Wednesday as he puts pressure on President William Ruto’s administration.

Opposition leaders accuse the government of being illegitimate while failing to tackle the high cost of living as they have launched a national campaign to raise signatures from Kenyans in their push to remove President William Ruto from office.

Kenyan officers on Wednesday fired tear gas on protesters who defied a police ban to join an anti-government demonstration called by opposition leader Raila Odinga against tax hikes.

Major roads in several cities in western Kenya, where Odinga commands significant support, were deserted as protesters took to the streets.

Shops were shut and security was tight in the capital Nairobi, where police deployed tear gas against stone-throwing demonstrators in the slums of Mathare and Kibera.

Tear gas was also used to disperse crowds vandalising a highway connecting Nairobi to the port city of Mombasa.

The clashes followed rallies in several cities last week that saw six people killed, according to the interior ministry, and rights campaigners accuse police of being heavy-handed.

Odinga told reporters that the police were responsible for protesters’ deaths.

The veteran politician said he was calling off plans to address supporters in the capital on Wednesday, citing fears for their safety.