Two Shot Dead in Kangemi as Police Disperse Saba Saba Protesters

At least three people are dead and several others injured following violent confrontations between protestors and police in Nairobi and its environs on Monday, as Kenya commemorated Saba Saba Day. 

The annual observance, historically a marker of the country's pro-democracy movement, has this year been overshadowed by widespread unrest. Two fatalities occurred in Kangemi, a Nairobi suburb, during clashes between anti-riot police and protestors. Eyewitnesses reported that both victims were fatally shot by live ammunition as officers moved to disperse crowds who had erected bonfires and blocked roadways. 

Emergency services were reportedly hampered by police barricades, obstructing access for ambulances. According to a local resident, "The bodies are still lying on the ground," highlighting the chaotic aftermath.

A third death was confirmed in Kitengela, Kajiado County, where a man succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained during confrontations with police along Prison Road. Sources indicate that the victim was struck in the neck and chest and died shortly after being admitted to a nearby public hospital. Another individual in Kitengela is currently receiving treatment for a gunshot wound to the leg.

Throughout the day, Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) remained largely inaccessible. Police erected roadblocks on major thoroughfares including Waiyaki Way, Thika Road, and Mombasa Road. Businesses remained shuttered, and pedestrian movement was sparse as security forces sought to prevent demonstrators from entering the city centre. The police also sealed off the bridge along Waiyaki Way in Kangemi, effectively halting vehicular traffic.

Similar scenes unfolded in other towns, including Githurai, Ngara, and Kitengela, with running battles between protestors and police reported. Teargas was deployed in Ngara, while in Nairobi's Globe Roundabout, a group of boda boda riders were arrested for allegedly attempting to ferry protestors into the CBD.