KENYA Tension Flares as Saba Saba Anniversary Sparks Fresh Anti-Govt Protests

By Ollus Ndomu
Kenyan police opened fire and fired tear gas at protesters in Nairobi on Monday as fresh demonstrations erupted to mark the 35th anniversary of the historic Saba Saba pro-democracy uprising.

The rallies, sparked by anger over the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody, quickly grew into a broader movement against corruption, police brutality and enforced disappearances. Protesters lit bonfires, barricaded roads and hurled stones at security forces, who responded with tear gas and live ammunition.

One demonstrator was reportedly injured by gunfire. Witnesses described running battles in parts of Nairobi and scattered unrest in Kisumu and Mombasa as civil society groups called for renewed vigilance against state repression.

Monday’s date holds deep symbolism for Kenyans. On July 7, 1990, known as Saba Saba, thousands defied the one-party rule of the late President Daniel arap Moi in a turning point for Kenya’s struggle for multi-party democracy. Activists say the same spirit is needed today as concerns mount over shrinking civic space and heavy-handed policing.

“This is an attempted coup,” the government claimed in a statement late Monday, accusing protest leaders of seeking to destabilize the country. Protesters, meanwhile, dismissed the claim, alleging that police deployed paid vandals to cause chaos and smear the largely peaceful movement.

“These protests are about corruption, about justice for Ojwang, and about the people’s right to be heard,” said one demonstrator, standing near a burning barricade in Nairobi’s city centre.

Rights groups have called for an independent investigation into Ojwang’s death, which has fueled outrage over police abuse and impunity. They say his killing echoes a wider pattern of extrajudicial killings and disappearances that continue to haunt Kenya’s democracy.

As night fell, the capital remained tense under a heavy security presence. With more protests expected in the coming days, many Kenyans are asking if the hard-won freedoms of Saba Saba are slowly being rolled back, one crackdown at a time.

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Ollus Ndhomu

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