Kenyans mark anniversary of bloody protests as police block roads

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Dozens of Kenyans marched to the Parliament building Thursday to mark two years since at least 60 people died in anti-government protests, as police set up roadblocks to prevent access to the capital, Nairobi.

Families whose loved ones died in the 2024 protests that were triggered by tax increases said they were protesting delayed justice and a lack of transparency in compensating the victims, after the government promised reparations.

President William Ruto last week said that the protest would be allowed but the government would also protect schoolchildren and workers and warned against any attempts by the demonstrators to “shut down the country.”

Police erected roadblocks on all major highways around Nairobi, blocking motorists from accessing the city. The Parliament building were barricaded and businesses were closed.

Opposition leaders backed the protests, calling for transparency in the $15 million government’s compensation program.

During the June 2024 protests, thousands of young Kenyans stormed the Parliament building, urging legislators to vote against a finance bill that had proposed an increase in taxes despite the rising cost of living. Police opened fire outside the building, killing dozens.

Ruto last week said the government compensation represents “a state acknowledgment that harm occurred” but was not an admission of guilt. He said the compensation should not be seen as a “reward for violence or criminality,” in a country where violent protests are common.

Several opposition figures — including former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, former Justice Minister Martha Karua and former Chief Justice David Maraga — marched alongside activists and the families of the 2024 crackdown victims, laying wreaths at the barbed-wire barricades around Parliament.

Nairobi police chief Issa Mohammud said the roadblocks were aimed at preventing criminals from entering the city. He said several people were arrested.

Edith Wanjiku, whose son, Ibrahim Kamau, 19, died of gunshots to the neck, said her family has yet to receive compensation although they had submitted documents to the state-funded Kenya Human Rights Commission.

“Only two out of 10 families whose children were shot that day near Parliament have been compensated and we are wondering what criteria the government is using,” she told The Associated Press.

Gillian Munyao, whose son, Rex Masai, also was killed, said that compensation cannot replace justice.

“Arrest the killer cops, that’s my message to the government,” she said.

The chair of the compensation panel, Makau Mutua, said on Wednesday that the process was still ongoing and that every verified claim would be paid.

Three police officers have been charged in the deaths of protesters.