Violent protests rocked several counties across the country as the anti-government demonstrations resumed yesterday after a one-week lull.

The fresh wave of protests appeared to target the offices of several governors across the country, with protestors accusing them of corruption, poor service delivery and nepotism among other ills.

Unlike the first wave of protests which were witnessed in at least 35 of the country’s 47 counties, yesterday’s protests were concentrated in the major cities of Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, Kakamega, Karatina in Nyeri county and Kitengela and Kajiado town in Kajiado county.

The protests were also witnessed in Siaya, Machakos, Makueni, Nyamira, Kisii and Bungoma counties.

Among the governors targeted by the protestors included Abdulswamad Nassir (Mombasa), Fernandes Barasa, (Kakamega), James Orengo (Siaya), Amos Nyaribo (Nyamira), Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu), Joseph Ole Lenku (Kajiado) and Jonathan Bii (Uasin Gishu).

In Nairobi, business was paralysed in the Central Business District (CBD) for the better part of the day as the protestors engaged police in full riot gear in running battles.

The protestors barricaded the Thika superhighway, Jogoo road, Juja road and several adjoining roads in the Eastlands neighbourhood, paralysing transport.

There were reports that two protestors had been shot dead within the River Road area within the CBD but these were however not confirmed.

Medics from the Red Crescent organisation said they had attended to two protestors who had suffered gunshot wounds.
“We have treated two protestors who had gunshot injuries,” said the organisation’s Chief Executive Officer, Atif Dar.

In Mombasa, the protesters converged at the iconic elephant tusks along Moi Avenue at 10am, where they addressed the press before beginning their march around 10:45am.

The protestors who had initially planned to storm governor Nassir’s office at Treasury Square changed tactic after encountering ta heavy deployment of police officers at the offices.

They instead beat a retreat and marched towards Mwembe Tayari through KFA.

For the entire afternoon, the stretch between Sabasaba Junction and Mwembe Tayari was transformed into a battlefield. Waves of teargas fired by police were met with stones from a section of the youth.

Attempts by Mombasa Speaker Aharub Khatri to address the protesters at Mwembe Tayari Junction were quickly thwarted by the youth, who resoundingly rejected any involvement of politicians in their plans.

Seriously injured

In Nakuru, a K24 journalist Catherine Wanjeri Kariuki was among those who were seriously injured after she was shot at by the police as she covered the Gen Z protests.

In the Nyanza region, the protestors failed to access the offices of governors Orengo, Nyaribo and Nyong’o owing to heavy security deployment.

They however paralysed transport and businesses in the entire region, protesting poor leadership at both the national and county levels.’

In Kisumu, normal business activities were largely disrupted by the demonstrations that resulted in slowed operations in market places and urban centres.

Transport along major roads in the area were highly paralysed, with most PSV vehicles forced to pull off from the roads amid fears of destruction during the Gen-Z protests.

The same was witnessed in Siaya, Homa Bay and Migori counties where the protestors barricaded roads and lit bonfires, demanding the resignation of President William Ruto.

None of the governors targeted showed up at their offices, having been alerted of the plan to occupy their offices. In Nyamira county, police were forced to lob tear gas canisters at the protestors who attempted to force their entry into the governor’s office and residence at Nyabite.

In Eldoret, the town hall which houses Uasin Gishu Governor Bii’s office alongside his deputy John Barorot and the county Executive for Finance was deserted as all the workers stayed away for fear of the building being invaded by the protesters.

In Kakamega, the protestors’ attempt to storm into the office of the governor Barasa was thwarted by goons allegedly hired by the county government.

For hours, the town and its environs witnessed running battles between the protestors on one side and the goons and the police on the other, leaving scores injured and business and transport paralysed.

The same scenario played out in Kajiado town where the protestors’ attempts to storm Ole Lenku’s office was also thwarted by a heavy contingent of police officers who had been deployed to guard the offices.

In Kitengela, several people sustained injuries during anti-government protests in Kitengela town.