PROTESTS BREAK OUT IN CBD AND OUTERING ROAD, HEAVY MILITARY PRESENCE
Protests have erupted in Nairobi CBD and along Outering Road, where a standoff is witnessed between the police and a multitude of youths, only 500 meters from the JKIA perimeter. Demonstrators have thronged to the road since morning, blocking it with stones and tires, rendering the road impassable.
The police were forced to respond by firing teargas canisters to disperse the hundreds of demonstrators who were trying to clear the road. A little while earlier, protesters had blocked the access roads that lead into Pipeline Estate and portions of the Outering Road.
The protests escalate amid calls once more for the ‘occupation’ of key installations, among them JKIA, amid growing anger over new cabinet appointments made by President William Ruto. The agitation was literally a reaction to Ruto’s announcement on July 19 of his maiden cabinet nominees, six of whom were holdovers from the previous government. The move had elicited very sharp reactions, with many claiming Ruto was bringing back old hurts and betraying public trust.
The reaction has been sharp online, with many Kenyans venting their frustration over the return of the former officials. Besides, with several new nominees found to have links with the previous cabinet, this has further contributed to public disillusionment.
Though protests against the President Ruto government have been happening uninterruptedly for the past six weeks, participation varied in the past weeks. On the severe side, though, it’s reported that 50 people have been killed and more than 600 arrested since the violence erupted on June 18.
There is a heavy presence of the military already deployed at one of JKIA’s entrances, along Outering Road, though they have not been called in yet to support the police. The situation remains under the control of units from the anti-riot police and the GSU—yet another sign of the tension in the region.
