At least 11 people lost their lives across Kenya on Monday during widespread anti-government protests that turned violent, according to reports from both the police and the Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
The demonstrations, which took place on the outskirts of Nairobi, saw hundreds arrested as security forces clashed with protesters. The KNCHR further alleged that police officers had colluded with criminal gangs during the unrest.
Central Nairobi remained largely deserted due to a heavy security presence as citizens marked Saba Saba Day, an annual day of resistance that commemorates the July 7, 1990 protests when Kenyans rallied against then-president Daniel arap Moi’s autocratic regime to demand the restoration of multi-party democracy.
The KNCHR said in a statement it “had documented ten fatalities, twenty-nine injuries” across 17 counties, but did not provide any further details.
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Kenya’s wave of anti-government protests on Monday left a tragic toll in its wake, with authorities confirming at least 11 fatalities. The National Police Service reported that clashes during the demonstrations also injured more than 60 people, including both civilians and law enforcement officers.
Throughout the day, Nairobi’s outskirts were scenes of intense confrontation. Riot police deployed volleys of tear gas to disperse determined protesters who, in defiance, pelted stones and engaged in looting as anger boiled over.
These demonstrations reflect growing frustration among Kenya’s youth, many of whom feel trapped by a stagnating economy, rampant corruption, and unchecked police violence. Similar protests just weeks earlier spiralled into chaos, leading to dozens of deaths and leaving a trail of destruction across thousands of businesses.
While organisers insist their movement is driven by a desperate need for reform, some allege that the government has been quietly deploying armed gangs to infiltrate protests and discredit their message. For its part, the state has dismissed the demonstrations as a threat to national stability, labelling them an attempted overthrow of the current administration.