One person was killed and at least 17 people hospitalised as thousands of Kenyans took to the streets on Wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of anti-government protests, according to Kenyan news outlets.
At least 10 people, including a female police officer who sustained head injuries, were brought to Kenyatta National Hospital in the capital. Nairobi, according to local media outlet Citizen.
The country’s Communications Authority ordered all television and radio stations to end live coverage of the protests, warning of “regulatory action” in case of rejection to abide by the directive.
In the county of Machakos, one individual was killed by gunfire, and at least seven others were taken to the hospital in Matuu town with gunshot wounds.
Tear gas
Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters.
Thousands of people took to the streets across the East African country on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the dramatic anti-Finance Bill demonstrations held on June 25, 2024, that led to the storming of parliament, police gunfire, and over 60 deaths.
President William Ruto’s administration faced intense scrutiny for how it handled the protests, which also caused widespread property damage.
The government later acknowledged fatalities and disappearances linked to the unrest. Ruto dissolved nearly his entire cabinet in July, retaining only Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and pledging to form a "broad-based government."
Sparked by public anger over rising living costs and President Ruto’s tax policies, demonstrations in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa were among the most intense.
Initially focused on economic demands, the protests escalated into calls for Ruto’s resignation and caused widespread property damage.
