Kenya’s police chief refers the decision to the demonstrations held last Monday in the capital, Nairobi. Then the protests, which also took place without a permit, turned into violent clashes between demonstrators and the police.
In total, over 200 people were arrested, including several high-ranking opposition politicians.
— You all saw what happened last week and we will not allow it to happen again, that hooligans come to town to loot and destroy people’s property and businesses, says police chief Japhet Koome.
President William Ruto’s government has promised to crack down on the protests.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga, for his part, has called on people to continue to take to the streets and peacefully protest against the country’s rampant cost of living.
It has been just over six months since Raila Odinga narrowly lost last year’s presidential election to William Ruto. Odinga claims electoral fraud was behind Ruto’s victory and that his government is illegitimate, but his allegations have been dismissed by the country’s judiciary.