NAIROBI We approach the center of Nairobi in two motorcycle taxis around noon. At the border of the Central Business District, stern-looking policemen direct the traffic away from the center, but after a little argument, they give us permission to continue on our way, albeit in the wrong direction around the roundabout.
– I don’t understand why you go there. Nothing happens there anymore, the constable waved after us.
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has of his own accord declared this Monday a public holiday and called on all Kenyans to travel to Nairobi and protest the President William Ruton against the administration, rising prices and election fraud.
The light smell of tear gas in the air
In the blocks of the city center, almost all shops are closed. Here, the demonstration is an opportunity for criminals to start robbing stores.
But there are also people on the streets, motorcycle taxis and minibuses waiting for rides. The light smell of tear gas wafts in the air, but otherwise it seems that the police have succeeded in breaking up the large demonstration of supporters of the opposition leader.
In the block of the convention center, a crowd of journalists has gathered at the intersection of Moi Avenue and City Hall Way. A Kenyan colleague says that the protesters are still there and heading towards the convention center, where Raila Odinga is expected to arrive at some point in the day to address his supporters.
– But they are in small groups around the city center. And the police shoot them with tear gas grenades. Remember to stay on the side of the police, and you will be safe, explains a journalist colleague.
The photographer of the source Juan Reina with Moi Avenue to the south. Tear gas is coming from the side streets, one of the palm trees on the park street has caught fire. On the other side of the street, a dozen men are sitting waving the Kenyan flag and inviting us over.
– We will not give up until the whole world listens to us, shouts the leader of the crowd Cornell.
At the heart of the rebellion is a bag of flour
We are listening. Above all, these men, like all protestors, face the cost of living in Kenya. During last August’s election, both main candidates promised to lower the cost of living for Kenyans.
Now the president William Rutolla it’s been half a year to deliver on its promise, and people are disappointed. Just a few weeks before the elections, the then president and supporter of Raila Odinga Uhuru Kenyatta ordered government subsidies for Kenyans’ most important food, maize flour.
William Ruto has refused to pay government subsidies to reduce the price of maize meal or fuel. According to the president, they are expensive and bad ways to support people. Instead, Ruto has ordered government subsidies to be paid for farmers’ fertilizers.
The idea is that this way the production of corn will increase and in the next harvest season more food will be on the market.
– But people are hungry now. They don’t have a job. They have no food on the table. And the government would rather invest money in setting up the vice president’s spouse’s office than in lowering consumer prices, Cornell explains exhausted.
We continue on Moi Avenue. It is no longer possible to say where the side of the police is, where the side of the protesters. There are burning car tires on the side street, we go there.
With a tear gas grenade to the leg
I dig a bag of flour out of my bag and start making my pre-planned schedule for the TV news. In a moment we are surrounded by a group of dozens of young men who want to take a picture and rhythmically shout “flour! flour!”.
The police are now nowhere to be seen, but tear gas grenades are exploding somewhere nearby. We start running and dozens of men follow us, whose slogan is now “Ruton must leave, Ruton must leave!”.
We should have left earlier. We run away from both the tear gas and the mob, and we don’t succeed in either. Someone hangs on the cameraman’s backpack, pushes him to the ground from running, his arm and knee hurt, his cell phone disappears from his pocket and the camera cell is damaged.
The city center blocks are just as chaotic. We get several more doses of tear gas in the eyes and lungs, I bounce my leg from the tear gas grenade.
The leaders argue, the people suffer
Things are not good in Kenya. The price of corn flour has more than doubled in a couple of years. Even educated people cannot find regular jobs. The worst drought ever, rising world market prices and a weakening currency increase the plight of the poorest in particular.
The spirit of rebellion is understandable. Kenyans are tired of politicians who do not genuinely pursue the interests of the citizens, but grab for themselves whatever they can and have time for.
It’s hard to say which hurts more, the tear gas grenade hitting the leg or the realization that President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga are waging their power struggle through ordinary people, protesters and the police.
Raila Odinga has run for president of Kenya five times and lost each time. Each time, he has also questioned the election result, and is doing so now. Even though the votes have been counted and the Supreme Court declared the election result valid, Odinga claims to have won the election.
Police prevented Raila Odinga from entering downtown Nairobi. He directed his motorcade to the suburbs and promised that the protests will continue every Monday from now on until President William Ruto agrees to negotiate.
We ride motorcycle taxis out of the Central Business District. Already a few blocks away, people are as if there is no riot going on. The message of the street gangs is: let us live an ordinary life, give us work and livelihood, that’s all we ask for.