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Heavy Security, Sparse Crowds Mark Nairobi’s Saba Saba Protests

Major routes in Nairobi remained sealed off as police fired tear gas followed by water cannon assaults under calls from human rights groups for transparent probes into recent deaths

Un policier kényan déplace des pneus bloquant un axe routier, le 7 juillet 2025 à Nairobi.

Overview

  • Protests to mark the July 7 pro-democracy anniversary drew few participants in central Nairobi as authorities blocked key access routes.
  • Journalists observed police deploying tear gas and water cannons to disperse small clusters of demonstrators in the capital.
  • An armed gang attacked the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights headquarters on July 6 during a press conference denouncing state violence.
  • Observers report continued use of paid militias working with security forces to intimidate activists and stoke fears of enforced disappearances.
  • Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the United Nations have urged independent, transparent investigations into recent fatalities and mass arrests.