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4h ago

31 Die in Kenya’s Saba Saba Protests as Ruto Directs Police to Shoot in the Leg

UN human rights officials call for transparent probes into security force violence after mass arrests on Saba Saba Day protests

ADDITION: CLARIFIES DATE - Anti-riot police barricade roads to Parliament buildings with razor wire, ahead of demonstrations to mark the historic 1990 Saba Saba (a Swahili word that means seven seven) protests for democratic reforms in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, July 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Riot police officers fire tear gas canisters to disperse demonstrators during anti-government protests dubbed "Saba Saba People's March", in the Rift Valley town of Nakuru, Kenya July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Suleiman Mbatiah/File Photo
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Overview

  • Human rights monitors report at least 31 protesters killed, 107 wounded and 532 arrested nationwide during Saba Saba Day demonstrations.
  • President William Ruto instructed police to shoot violent protesters in the legs to incapacitate them and ensure they are taken to hospital and court.
  • Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen told security forces to “shoot on sight” anyone approaching police stations following attacks on several precincts.
  • The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights documented forced disappearances and alleged coordination between plainclothes officers and armed gangs in multiple counties.
  • The United Nations Human Rights Office and KNCHR have demanded independent, transparent investigations into the killings and other alleged rights violations, with victims’ families seeking accountability.