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Nairobi Locked Down After Deadly Saba Saba Protests

High security remains in Nairobi as rights groups press for investigations into alleged police collusion.

ADDITION: CLARIFIES DATE - Demonstrators gesture to anti-riot police during demonstrations to mark the historic 1990 Saba Saba (a Swahili word that means seven seven) protests for democratic reforms in the Kangemi slum of Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, July 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Kenya anti-riot police barricade roads to Parliament buildings with razor wire, ahead of 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)
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Overview

  • At least ten people were killed during the July 7 Saba Saba protests and authorities arrested over 560 demonstrators nationwide, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and the National Police Service.
  • Security forces set up major roadblocks and used tear gas and water cannon in Nairobi to prevent crowds from reaching central protest sites.
  • Human rights organisations accused police of operating alongside armed gangs, heightening calls for an independent inquiry into security force conduct.
  • Demonstrations reignited on July 8 in towns such as Embu and Kiambu, where residents lit bonfires and barricaded roads to demand justice.
  • Protesters continue to demand accountability for corruption, police brutality and the custody death of blogger Albert Ojwang as youth-led grievances persist against President Ruto’s government.