16 dead, 400 wounded in Kenya violent protests
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Demonstrators in Nairobi call for President William Ruto’s resignation and protest police brutality and high taxation.
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Protesters scatter as police fire teargas at them during a demonstration on the one-year anniversary of deadly anti-tax demonstrations in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, Wednesday, June 25, 2025 (AP)
Protests in Kenya turned violent on Wednesday as demonstrators clashed with police in running battles that left sixteen dead and at least 400 injured, while authorities flooded Nairobi's streets with tear gas and barricaded government buildings with barbed wire.
What began as peaceful commemorations quickly spiraled into chaos when scattered groups tore up flagstones to hurl projectiles at security forces while chanting demands for President William Ruto to resign.
The demonstrations were organized to mark the anniversary of last year's large-scale protests against tax hikes, which had resulted in at least 60 fatalities and reached their climax when a massive crowd breached parliament on June 25.
"We are marching against police brutality, against oppression by the government, against high taxation, everything that is going wrong in this country," said Anthony, a 25-year-old who was also selling flags and declined to provide his full name, to AFP.
"We are here as the young generation. We want a complete overhaul of the system, the system is rotten, the system is rogue," Florence Achala, a protester, told AFP in Nairobi.
Earlier in Matuu, a town approximately 100 kilometers (65 miles) from Nairobi, a hospital source informed AFP that two individuals had succumbed to gunshot wounds, while local media reports indicated that police had fired shots.
Police-affiliated 'goons' fuel the protests
Public outrage has grown over police brutality, especially following the death of a teacher in custody earlier this month, while last week, a peaceful group of demonstrators was assaulted by motorcycle-riding thugs, locally known as "goons". These goons wielded whips and clubs and appeared to coordinate their attacks with law enforcement.
While the "goons" were not visibly active during Wednesday's protests, police forces employed heavy tear gas and water cannons in their efforts to disperse groups of demonstrators.
Expressing concern to AFP, analyst and lawyer Javas Bigambo warned that political groups could potentially take advantage of the tense atmosphere to incite further violence.
"There is nothing good to celebrate about the events that happened last year," Bigambo said, adding, "If we were serious about commemorating June 25th, it should be in solemnity, prayer, and restraint."
39 people killed, 361 wounded in 2024 protests
In 2024, anti-government protests began on June 18 after President William Ruto proposed tax increases, leading to dozens of deaths and injuries while also resulting in 32 documented cases of enforced or involuntary disappearances, along with 627 arrests during the demonstrations.
In a statement dated July 12, 2024, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reported that 39 people were killed while 361 others sustained injuries during the country's nationwide anti-government protests.
The "#RutoMustGo" hashtag gained traction during the demonstrations as protesters maintained their demands for President William Ruto's resignation.
The Kenyan President, William Ruto, abandoned the plan for tax hikes and later announced on June 6, 2024, cuts to government spending through halving the number of advisors, suspending non-essential travel, and dissolving 47 state corporations that overlap.
Nonetheless, anti-government protests continued, with young Kenyans calling for the ousting of President Ruto, as well as the police chief, Japhet Koome, due to the lethal force used by police to disperse previous protests. Koome resigned on July 12.
