Police seal off Uhuru Park as planned protest loses pace

A police officer shoots in the air during the anti-government protests along Moi Avenue, Nairobi on July16, 2024.[Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Uhuru Park, the preferred venue for a planned rally on Wednesday, organised by the Gen Zs and Millennials protesting against the government remains clear.

By mid-day, the venue remained deserted with a heavy police presence, deployed to ensure that the agitated Kenyans do not access the park following a police ban of the protests that has so far left more than 50 people dead.

On Wednesday, July 17, the acting police boss Douglas Kanja banned protests countrywide, citing lack of leadership among the protestors making it difficult to control the demonstrations.

In his statement, Kanja indicated that they had received intelligence of criminal elements planning to infiltrate the demonstrations to cause destruction.

"No demonstrations will be permitted in the Nairobi CBD and its surroundings until further notice to ensure public safety. We have credible intelligence that organized criminal groups are planning to take advantage of the ongoing protests to execute their attacks, including looting," he said.

Mr. Kanja's directive, however, met criticism with Kenyans on X saying the ban is unlawful, vowing to continue with demonstrations even as they planned to converge at Uhuru Park for the "Occupy Uhuru Park" march.

However, as of mid-day, there were no significant rally activities or demos.

In the City Centre, a spot-check by The Standard also showed normal business operations with most shops open.

Transport operations had also resumed after Tuesday's chaotic protests that paralysed business operations, bringing the regional economic powerhouse to a standstill.

Most streets within the capital were busy, albeit with reduced intensity, as is the norm especially in downtown.