Kenyan activists rethink strategy after protests descend into violence
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[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.
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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.
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![](../images/070324PIX/news_x54.jpg)
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
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Jul/22/images/ads/current/rohlfs_lda_072017.png)
"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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