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Kenya’s security forces have blocked all major roads leading into central Nairobi, ahead of planned nationwide protests.<\/p>\n
Much of the city centre is deserted, with businesses shut and a heavy security presence on the streets. Some schools have advised students to stay at home.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of early-morning commuters and overnight travellers were stranded at checkpoints, some located more than 10km (six miles) from the city centre, with only a few vehicles allowed through.<\/p>\n
Within the city, roads leading to key government sites – including the president’s official residence, State House, and the Kenyan parliament – are barricaded with razor wire.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In a statement issued on Sunday evening, the police said it was their constitutional duty to protect lives and property while maintaining public order.<\/p>\n
Monday’s protests, dubbed Saba Saba (Swahili for 7 July), commemorate the 1990s struggle for multiparty democracy in Kenya.<\/p>\n
These demonstrations have been organised primarily by young people, demanding good governance, greater accountability, and justice for victims of police brutality. They are the latest in a wave of anti-government protests that began last year.<\/p>\n
Recent demonstrations have turned violent, with reports of infiltration by “goons”, who are accused of looting and attacking protesters. Civil society groups allege collusion between these groups and the police – accusations the police have strongly denied.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, an armed gang attacked the headquarters of a human rights NGO in Nairobi. The Kenya Human Rights Commission had been hosting a press conference organised by women calling for an end to state violence ahead of Monday’s protests.<\/p>\n
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the original Saba Saba protests – a key moment that helped usher in multiparty democracy in Kenya after years of one-party rule.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n