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Kenyan protesters retreat to off-street tactics after demos turn chaotic

Police offices are pictured in the Nairobi city centre during anti-government protests on July 2, 2024. (Photo: Justine Ondieki/EV)

By Mary Wambui | Wednesday, July 3, 2024

The ever-changing course of the protests, including the adoption of social media tools to lobby and organise tactics, has troubled the police and other security agencies, who have often been caught flat-footed.

Kenyan protesters under the leaderless group known as the Occupy Movement are retreating from the streets but will continue to heap pressure on the government online and through other strategies that do not require mass gatherings.

Today, they plan to name and shame corrupt government officials.

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According to a poster shared by activist Boniface Mwangi, Kenyans are to publicly condemn the suspects who have featured in past scandals before, during, and after their appointment.

"Name and shame corrupt, greedy Members of Parliament (MPs), Cabinet Secretaries (CSs), Principal Secretaries (PSs), Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), governors, women representatives, and those in other government institutions. Post their photos plus corrupt deals and details online and tag them," reads the poster.

The protests, which have become a regular occurrence every Tuesday and Thursday, were marred by violence and the destruction of property by goons allegedly hired to counter the course of the Gen Z protests.

Doctors who had pitched camps at various points in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) to assist victims of violence also announced the closure of their clinics due to the escalating violence witnessed during the protests.

The doctors calling themselves medics for Kenya have helped hundreds of patients including police officers who got injured during the protests, a programme that was funded by donors.

A man kicks a tear gas canister at a demonstration over police killings of people protesting against Finance Bill 2024 in Nairobi on June 27, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi)

"With the change in maandamano atmosphere and the deployment of goons, we, as Medics for Kenya, highly value the lives of our volunteers. As we say in the corridors of hospitals, your safety comes first. Therefore, it is with much regret and pain that we announce that Medics for Kenya will withdraw their medical camp services all across the country," Dr Austin Omondi said in a statement on Wednesday morning.

It is unclear what form the protests will take tomorrow, as they are expected to resume after a break from street demonstrations. The ever-changing course of the protests, including the adoption of social media tools to lobby and organise tactics, has troubled the police and other security agencies, who have often been caught flat-footed.

President William Ruto, who has always addressed the nation through mainstream and digital media houses and his social media pages, was also forced to change his mediation approach and invite the youth to dialogue via X (Twitter) Space.

During the protests that entered the third week yesterday, X Spaces recorded up to 120,000 tweeps at once, with the debates going past 15 hours a day.

Meanwhile, halting street protests has enabled schools that had closed for the midterm break to resume learning as students have been spotted going back to school.