At least ten people were killed and 29 others wounded during Monday’s Saba Saba demonstrations, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported, as spiralling discontent over soaring living costs and alleged police abuses fuelled the country’s most intense protests in years.
The watchdog said it had confirmed 37 arrests, two abductions and looting in six of the 17 counties hit by unrest. In Kirinyaga County, suspected rioters set fire to the Kerugoya Central Constituency Development Fund offices, while scattered vandalism was recorded elsewhere.
Four of the fatalities occurred in Nairobi’s Kangemi district and in Kitengela, Kajiado County, paramedics told local broadcasters KTN and Citizen TV. In Kangemi, ambulance crews struggled to reach victims after protesters barricaded roads with burning debris.
Marking the 35th anniversary of the 7 July 1990 pro-democracy uprising, the Saba Saba rallies drew thousands—largely younger Kenyans—demanding President William Ruto’s resignation, sweeping economic reforms and accountability for security-force misconduct. Anger has sharpened since teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang died in police custody last month.
Witnesses described continuous gunfire in Kangemi and the use of live rounds and tear gas against stone-throwing crowds in Kitengela. Clashes also flared in Nairobi’s Kibra, Mathare and Githurai neighbourhoods, where roads were blocked and fires set. Human-rights groups warned the death toll could rise as hospitals treat dozens of injured demonstrators.
While civil-society leaders urged restraint, the government defended its tactics, saying “criminal elements” had hijacked otherwise peaceful protests. Organisers vowed to sustain pressure until their demands for lower living costs and police reforms are met.