Protesters clash with police during deadly Saba Saba Day demonstrations in Nairobi. Photo / AFP
Ten people have died across Kenya during anti-government demonstrations, a rights group said, following clashes between police and protesters in the capital Nairobi’s outskirts.
The Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) also accused the police of co-operating with criminal gangs, as a heavy deployment of the security forces kept much of central Nairobi deserted before the annual marches to mark Saba Saba Day.
Meaning Seven Seven, the demonstrations commemorate July 7, 1990, when Kenyans rose up to demand a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-President Daniel arap Moi.
The KNCHR said in a statement it “had documented 10 fatalities, 29 injuries” across 17 counties, but did not provide any further details.
AFP saw running battles with groups of anti-riot police who fired teargas at small gatherings, with some of the crowd throwing rocks at officers and engaging in destructive looting.
Young Kenyans, frustrated over economic stagnation, corruption and police brutality, are once again engaging in protests that last month degenerated into looting and violence, leaving dozens dead and thousands of businesses destroyed.
Protesters accuse the authorities of paying armed vandals to discredit their movement, while the government has compared June’s demonstrations to an “attempted coup”.
Following the unrest, the streets of central Nairobi were quiet after police mounted roadblocks on the main roads, restricting entry to areas that were the epicentre of previous rallies.
Many businesses were closed.
“I have never witnessed the city centre like this,” security guard Edmond Khayimba, 29, told AFP.
While the centre remained deserted, groups gathered on the outskirts in the afternoon with AFP reporters witnessing two people wounded, as well as looting and vandalism.
Protesters on a major highway clashed with police blocking their entry into the city, with the small crowds chanting: “Ruto Must Go”, a popular rallying cry against President William Ruto, and “wantam” meaning “one term”.
Again, AFP saw looting and property destruction in the surrounding area.
In its statement, the KNCHR noted the presence of “criminal gangs wielding crude weapons, including whips, wooden clubs, machetes, spears, bows and arrows” during the protests in a number of counties. It said that in Nairobi “these hooded gangs were seen operating alongside police officers”.
It also said it had documented 37 arrests.
In comments to AFP, the National Police Service (NPS) spokesperson said that the KNCHR statements “may lack factualness many times over”.
The spokesperson also reiterated that the NPS “would never work alongside individuals called ‘goons’ or criminal elements”, a reference to the armed men paid to disrupt demonstrations.
Kipchumba Murkomen, the Interior Cabinet Secretary, said recent demonstrations had “been infiltrated by criminals out to cause chaos and destruction”.
Saba Saba commemorates a turning point in our country's journey to multi-party democracy, order and better governance. Kenyans have the right to mark the day in peace and decency.
— KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN, E.G.H (@kipmurkomen) July 7, 2025
Unfortunately, peaceful demonstrations have recently been infiltrated by criminals out to cause… pic.twitter.com/GgwllhdKsf
In a statement on X, he said the looting and violence had been “markedly reduced” by the officers’ presence, but promised those responsible would be “investigated and charged”.
Social media and rising economic expectations have fanned anger over inequalities in a country where around 80% are trapped in informal, poorly paid jobs.
But a crackdown by the police – at least 80 people have died in protests since June last year while dozens have been detained illegally – has scared many off the streets.
Nairobi motorbike driver Rogers Onsomu, 32, told AFP that while the town was deserted, he hoped demonstrators would come out later, and criticised Ruto’s government.
“What he has promised the country, [he] is not delivering,” Onsomu said.
“The power belongs to people,” he said. “We will not relent and we will keep it going each and every day.”
Since being elected in 2022, Ruto has forged an uneasy alliance with the main opposition leader Raila Odinga, leaving no clear challenger before the next vote in 2027.
But each violent crackdown fuels further unrest, said activist Nerima Wako.
“Every time people organise a protest, they kill more people, so it just continues to feed off itself,” she said.
The previous demonstration on June 25 – intended to mark the peak of last year’s deadly anti-government rallies – turned violent and left 19 people dead, according to rights groups.
- Agence France-Presse