Kenyan activists rethink strategy after protests descend into violence

[July 03, 2024]  By Aaron Ross

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Activists behind Kenya's anti-government protests are rethinking their strategy after demonstrations on Tuesday were marred by widespread violence and looting.

The activists say the violence was the work of "goons" hired by politicians to either discredit legitimate demonstrators or advance their own agendas, but they acknowledge that it risks undermining the protest movement.

"It seems the state has realised that the only way to counter this movement is by using goons to incite violence, break into people's property, loot, and tarnish our cause," Ojango Omondi, an activist in the capital Nairobi, told Reuters.

"It's time to go back to the drawing board and strategize on how best to overcome this violence and keep our protests focused on their true objectives."

Kenya's government spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. In a statement on Tuesday, Interior Minister Kithure Kindike blamed violence on "hordes of marauding criminal gangs" and said there was an attempt to "politicize crime".

The initial protests last month against proposed tax hikes were overwhelmingly peaceful, although the police fired tear gas and water cannon at demonstrators.

The mobilization of Kenyans from across ethnic lines around common economic demands marked a notable break with previous protest movements, which have typically been organized by political figures with ethnic grievances often at the fore.

The protests have taken a violent turn in the past week. Some demonstrators briefly stormed parliament last week and the police opened fire, killing dozens.

The next day, President William Ruto withdrew the tax increases. But protesters vowed to carry on, issuing a range of demands, from anti-corruption measures to Ruto's resignation.

Practically from the start, Tuesday's protests were marked by violence. Stone-throwing young men clashed with police in Nairobi and other towns. Looters stormed businesses, leading shopowners to arm themselves with sticks and clubs.

Foi Wambui, a young actress who had come to protest in downtown Nairobi, said she was heading home because of the chaos.

A protester carries a casket during a demonstration over police killings of people protesting against the imposition of tax hikes by the government, in Nairobi, Kenya, July 2, 2024. REUTERS/John Muchucha/File Photo

"What has happened is that peaceful protesters are deterred from coming to town, and we are deterred from actually coming and practicing our civic duties," she told Reuters.

DISCREDITING THE MOVEMENT

In official statements, Ruto and the government have generally distinguished between peaceful protesters and "criminals", who they say have hijacked the demonstrations.

But their allies have seized on the violence to try to discredit the movement, popularly known as Gen Z protests for their youthful following.

Dennis Itumbi, a political consultant close to Ruto, posted a video on X of a group of young men robbing another man in the streets. It was not clear where or when the video was taken.

"Congratulations Gen-Z for your Peaceful and democratic protests along the streets," Itumbi wrote. "The police should not interfere with your moves.

On a public forum on the social media site X on Tuesday evening that was attended by over 400,000 people, one speaker said the protest movement bore some responsibility for the chaos by continuing to call for demonstrations after Ruto withdrew the tax hikes.

"You are equally culpable if you are still beating the drums of war," he said.

Other speakers insisted that paid goons were to blame for the violence but several agreed that demonstrators should take a step back and not go ahead with planned protests on Thursday.

"We will have more casualties and we will not achieve what we want," said one. "Let's go back. Let's strategize."

(Reporting by Aaron Ross; Additional reporting by George Obulutsa and Mukelwa Hlatshwayo; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)

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