On Thursday, July 18, a Kenyan court suspended the police’s ban on protests in the capital city. The Milimani Law Courts issued the ruling, keeping the ban on hold while a petition filed by a Kenyan NGO challenging the police directive is heard and resolved.
The ban, imposed by the acting police inspector general on July 17, was intended to be indefinite and applied to Nairobi’s central business district (CBD) and surrounding areas. The justification given was a lack of adequate leadership to ensure peaceful demonstrations.
This suspension came just before a planned protest where demonstrators intended to march to the president’s office. On Thursday, police were heavily deployed throughout the CBD, with major roads leading to the president’s office being blocked off.
Nairobi has been a focal point for youth-led protests that have spread across the country. Accusations against the police include the shooting of protesters, leading to the resignation of former Inspector General Japheth Koome.
The government spokesperson reported on Thursday that the ongoing month-long protests have resulted in economic losses estimated at $45 million. Isaac Mwaura urged protesters to act with patriotism.