Central Nairobi sealed off ahead of Kenyan protests
Kenya’s security forces have blocked all the big ways to the center of Nairobi in front of the planned country -wide protests.
Most of the city center has been abandoned, businesses are closed and the presence of heavy security on the streets. Some schools advised students to stay at home.
Passengers and night travelers in the early hours of the morning were stranded at the checkpoints with more than 10km (six miles) than the city center, and only a few vehicles were allowed.
In the city, the roads to the key government areas, including the official residence of the President, the State House and the Kenya Parliament, are barramed by razor wire.
In a statement published on Sunday evening, the police said that protecting their lives and goods while protecting public order is constitutional tasks.
The protests on Monday were called Saba Saba (Svahili for July 7), commemorating the multi -party democracy struggle of the 1990s in Kenya.
These demonstrations are primarily organized by young people, good governance, more accountability and justice for victims of police savagery. The last wave of anti -government protests that started last year.
On June 25, at least 19 people were killed and thousands of enterprises were killed and destroyed on a day of the country -wide protests, which were held in honor of those killed in anti -tax protests last year.
The latest demonstrations returned to violence with the infiltration reports by “Gonts”, accused of plundering and attacking the protesters. Civil society groups claim that there is an agreement between these groups and the police – the police violently rejected.
On Sunday, an armed gang attacked the headquarters of a human rights NGO in Nairobi. The Kenya Human Rights Commission was hosting a press conference organized by women who wanted to end the state violence before the protests on Monday.
This year, it points to the 35th anniversary of the original Saba Saba protests – an important moment that helps multi -party democracy in Kenya after years of one -party rule.
The reaction of the government at the time of the President Daniel Arab Moi was cruel. Many protesters, including senior politician Railla Odinga, who are currently working with the government, were arrested and tortured, but at least 20 people were killed.
Since then, Saba Saba has begun to symbolize the struggle for civil resistance and democratic freedom in Kenya.
