A Kenyan court has suspended a police ban on protests in Nairobi, stating that citizens have a right to demonstrate peacefully. The High Court’s decision came before a planned protest where demonstrators were expected to march to the president’s office calling for his resignation over poor governance. The court issued a “conservatory order” preventing the ban from being enforced, pending a final ruling on the case, with another hearing scheduled for July 29.
The protests began a month ago with calls to vote against a controversial finance bill proposing higher taxes, amid a cost-of-living crisis and ballooning public debt. At least 50 people have died since then, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. President William Ruto refused to sign the bill passed by parliament on June 25, when protesters stormed the building and set fire to part of it, leading to widespread chaos.
The president has since dismissed almost his entire Cabinet and the attorney general, as demanded by protesters who accused ministers of corruption and incompetence. Some businesses in Nairobi remained closed in anticipation of planned protests, with police heavily deployed around the city. The economy has reportedly suffered significant losses due to the ongoing demonstrations.
Accusations of police brutality against protesters have surfaced, leading to the resignation of the former inspector general of police. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority has forwarded cases of police brutality to the director of public prosecutions for further action. The situation in Kenya remains tense as the country grapples with ongoing protests and civil unrest.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com