A wave of anti-government protests swept through major cities in Kenya on Wednesday, leaving at least 16 people dead and hundreds more injured, according to human rights monitors.
The demonstrations, organized to mark the anniversary of last year’s deadly tax protests, turned violent as police clashed with thousands of protesters in Nairobi and other regions.
The protests come exactly one year after mass outrage over a controversial tax bill culminated in the storming of Kenya’s parliament, resulting in over 60 deaths. This year’s demonstrations began peacefully but escalated as police deployed tear gas, water cannons, and reportedly used live ammunition to disperse crowds.
Amnesty International’s Kenya Executive Director, Irungu Houghton, confirmed that 16 deaths had been “verified as of 8:30 p.m.” in collaboration with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR). “Most of those killed were shot by police,” Houghton stated, adding that at least five people had died from gunshot wounds.
The KNCHR also issued a statement earlier reporting eight confirmed deaths, all allegedly caused by gunfire. It described the scale of the crackdown as excessive, citing widespread use of rubber bullets, water cannons, and live ammunition.
“Over 400 casualties have been reported, including demonstrators, police officers, and journalists,” the Commission said in a social media post on its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
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Despite repeated calls for restraint, eyewitnesses reported chaotic scenes in downtown Nairobi and other urban centers, with armored police vehicles chasing down demonstrators and helicopters hovering above protest sites. Local hospitals, including Kenyatta National Hospital, were overwhelmed with the influx of wounded individuals.
Police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga declined to comment on the allegations of excessive force or the reported fatalities.
Meanwhile, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), a government watchdog, confirmed that 61 individuals were arrested nationwide. The agency said it was closely monitoring the conduct of law enforcement officers during the protests.
Civil society groups and opposition leaders have condemned the killings and called for immediate investigations into the use of deadly force. Amnesty Kenya and KNCHR have urged the government to uphold citizens’ right to peaceful assembly and avoid the mistakes of the 2024 protests.
The protesters, many of them youth, had taken to the streets not only to honor those who died last year but also to voice ongoing grievances about rising living costs, political repression, and limited job opportunities. Placards bearing messages like “No More Bloodshed” and “We Demand Justice” were seen at several rally points.
As of Thursday morning, calm had begun to return to parts of the country, but tension remains high with more protests reportedly planned in the coming days.
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