NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Police in Kenya said they detained hundreds of people and fired tear gas on Thursday as families of those killed in anti-government protests two years ago marched to the Parliament building to demand compensation and justice.
At least 60 people were killed when police opened fire outside Parliament in Nairobi in the June 2024 protests that were triggered by tax increases. The victims' families said that they were protesting against a lack of transparency in compensating the victims, after the government promised reparations.
President William Ruto said last week that the protest would be allowed, but that the government would also protect schoolchildren and workers and he warned against any attempts by the demonstrators to "shut down the country."
Police erected roadblocks on all major highways around Nairobi, blocking motorists from accessing the city. The Parliament building was barricaded and businesses were closed.
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said that 355 "criminals" were arrested in Nairobi and other towns. He said that the measures were necessary to "protect businesses and avert chaos."
Journalists and witnesses said that many ordinary Kenyans appeared to be among those detained.
Police also fired tear gas at protesters outside Nairobi's main police station who attempted to present a petition.
Opposition leaders backed the protests, calling for transparency in the $15 million government's compensation program.
During protests on June, 25, 2024, thousands of young Kenyans stormed the Parliament building, urging legislators to vote against a finance bill that had proposed an increase in taxes despite the rising cost of living. Police opened fire outside the building, killing dozens.
Ruto said last week that the government compensation represents "a state acknowledgment that harm occurred," but was not an admission of guilt. He said that the compensation shouldn't be seen as a "reward for violence or criminality," in a country where violent protests are common.
Several opposition figures — including former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, former Justice Minister Martha Karua and former Chief Justice David Maraga — marched alongside activists and the families of the 2024 crackdown victims, laying wreaths at the barbed-wire barricades around Parliament.
Edith Wanjiku, whose 19-year-old son Ibrahim Kamau died of gunshots to the neck, said that her family has yet to receive compensation although they had submitted documents to the state-funded Kenya Human Rights Commission.
"Only two out of 10 families whose children were shot that day near Parliament have been compensated and we are wondering what criteria the government is using," she told The Associated Press.
Gillian Munyao, whose son, Rex Masai, also was killed, said that compensation can't replace justice.
"Arrest the killer cops, that's my message to the government," she said.
The chair of the compensation panel, Makau Mutua, said on Wednesday that the process was still ongoing and that every verified claim would be paid.
Three police officers have been charged in the deaths of protesters.