At least seven people were shot dead in Nairobi, Kajiado, and Nyandarua counties as Kenyans across the country marked the 35th anniversary of the July 7, 1990 protests that led to multiparty democracy in the country.

Two of the fatalities are alleged to have been shot by police officers deployed in Kangemi, Nairobi, to prevent protesters from accessing the Central Business District (CBD). Another person was reported dead in Donholm.

The killings occurred as protesters clashed with police in running battles after officers established roadblocks on various roads around the city to control movement into the CBD.

In Kajiado County, two people were shot dead in Ngong, while three others were seriously injured as police confronted protesters in violent skirmishes.

Another fatality was recorded in Kitengela, where four protesters and several police officers were injured during confrontations that lasted throughout the day.

The usually busy town was turned into a battleground, with the Nairobi-Namanga road, the vital link between Kenya and Tanzania, rendered impassable. All businesses along the highway remained closed.

Scores injured

Following the clashes, protesting youths stormed the Kitengela Sub-County Hospital, where they destroyed the casualty area and attempted to set parts of the hospital on fire.

Patients who had been admitted earlier were held under siege for several hours amid the violence between the youths and police.

Among the injured was Brian Odhiambo, who sustained a gunshot wound to his right leg, with the bullet lodged inside his body.

Personnel from the Kenya Red Cross intervened, administering first aid to the injured.

Police officers from Kitengela police station, led by Inspector Joel Munyaro, were initially overwhelmed, but later received reinforcements from the General Service Unit equipped with water cannons, alongside their counterparts from the prison service.

Another person was killed in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County, where local residents took to the streets in commemoration of the July 7, protests.

At Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), ambulances delivered a steady stream of patients throughout the day, many with gunshot wounds, stabbings, and blunt-force injuries.

According to the hospital, 28 victims were admitted, among them a young man who was stabbed three times—once in the head and twice in the stomach—in South B.

His sisters said he had been mugged while walking home and was not part of the protests. “He tried to resist, and they stabbed him,” one said tearfully.

At the Kangemi Bridge, travellers from upcountry and local residents were forced to disembark and find alternative means of transport into the CBD, which was largely deserted.

Within the CBD, government offices and private sector businesses were closed, with the city centre heavily guarded by police and men armed with rungus, deployed to protect businesses from potential looters.

Roads leading into the city experienced an unprecedented police presence as security agencies beefed up efforts to guard all entry points to the CBD.

In downtown Nairobi, officers were seen working in apparent coordination with hired men, exposing gaps in security that left many business owners concerned.

Police blamed

Over the weekend, some entrepreneurs reinforced their doors and shop windows, expressing little faith in the authorities’ ability to prevent looting.

The KNCHR accused police of ignoring court orders requiring all officers managing demonstrations to wear identifiable uniforms. “Several hooded officers were patrolling in unmarked vehicles in Nairobi, Kajiado, and Nakuru counties,” the commission said.

Even more concerning, KNCHR noted the emergence of criminal gangs armed with crude weapons such as whips, wooden clubs, machetes, spears, and bows and arrows. These gangs, reportedly hooded, were seen operating alongside police officers in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, and Eldoret.

Many citizens were unable to access workplaces, while fears of looting and vandalism forced most businesses to remain shut. Six looting incidents were reported, including the torching of Kerugoya CDF offices.

Police Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga urged Kenyans to protest peacefully and warned that officers would only use “lawful force” if met with violent or riotous behaviour.

– Additional reporting by Peterson Githaiga and Maryanne Muganda