On Thursday August 8, Kenyan police used tear gas in the city center of the capital Nairobi, where small groups of demonstrators gathered to protest against government policies.
Earlier in the morning, police had deployed in the streets of the capital, erecting roadblocks on the main arteries.
Small groups of demonstrators gathered in the business district, the epicenter of previous rallies, where many stores remained closed. Several people were arrested by the police. In the coastal city of Mombasa, traffic was normal, according to images broadcast on local television, very different from previous rallies.
Kenya, East Africa’s economic powerhouse, has been rocked since June by mobilizations led by “Generation Z” (young people born after 1997) against President William Ruto, who came to power two years ago, and his economic policies.
Posters shared online called for new demonstrations, nicknamed “Nane Nane” (“Eight Eight” in Swahili) to signify the date of August 8.