Kenya was preparing for another tense day of opposition protests on Wednesday with police deployed, streets desolate, and schools closed.
Following deadly violence at earlier gatherings, the government has vowed to take tough action against any excesses.
The Azimio coalition, led by seasoned politician Raila Odinga, has called for three days of protests against President William Ruto’s policies, which they claim have exacerbated the country’s rising cost of living, beginning today.
“We call on Kenyans to (…) take back their country before this dictatorship takes firm root”, Azimio said in a statement on Tuesday.
These protests are “nothing more than a threat to national security” in the government’s eyes.
Public schools in the three largest cities in the nation—Nairobi, which serves as the capital, Mombasa, in the south, and Kisumu, in the west—were still closed on Wednesday morning at the request of the authorities.
Nairobi’s normally bustling streets were deserted, security personnel were stationed throughout the city, and many stores kept their curtains drawn, according to AFP correspondents.
Since early July, the opposition has planned these days of action three times. The previous one, on July 12, saw gatherings outlawed by the government and marred by looting and altercations between protesters and police.
Over 300 people have been arrested, and at least nine people have died. The police’s brutality against the protesters, which included using live gunfire and tear gas, drew harsh criticism.
The government has used “all available resources,” according to Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, to make sure that the events “we witnessed (…) do not happen again.”
Thirteen Western nations—including the United States and the United Kingdom—expressed worry about the “high levels of violence” during the most recent protests in a joint statement on Tuesday, asking all parties to “resolve their differences peacefully.”
President Ruto, who was elected in August 2022 on a platform of boosting the economy and helping the most vulnerable people, implemented additional taxes at the start of July amid opposition and public outcry.
The economic hub of East Africa, Kenya, is struggling with rising inflation and a significant debt that was accrued, in particular, during the administration of Uhuru Kenyatta, whose vice president was William Ruto.
