Kenyan police open fire at protest against ‘abductions’

Kenyan police opened fire on a protest against reports of kidnappings in Nairobi, killing at least one person, two witnesses said.

The protest in the Mathare neighborhood was triggered by news of the kidnapping of a businessman this month and comes as concerns grow about the kidnapping of critics and crackdowns during protests in Kenya.

Kenyan police were not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

“I saw one person dead and two people injured by bullets in a hospital in Mathare,” said Wanjira Wanjiru, co-founder of Mathare Social Justice Centre, who attended the protest.

Mathare resident Adel Nduba said the protest was held because his brother had not been seen since his arrest a week ago.

Two years ago, at least 60 people were killed in a crackdown by security forces after protesters breached parliament grounds during a rally against proposed tax increases, according to Kenya’s National Human Rights Commission.

Kenyan President William Ruto acknowledged “instances of excessive and extrajudicial action by security agencies”.

It said earlier this month that 2 billion Kenyan shillings ($22.6 million) had been set aside for victims of protest-related violations.