Kenyan court suspends police ban on protests in Nairobi

A Kenyan court has suspended police moves to ban protests in the capital Nairobi and surrounding areas “until further notice.”

The police issued an order to this effect on Wednesday, arguing that it was difficult to ensure security due to the leaderlessness of the protests. In addition, the protests had been “infiltrated by criminals”.

Previously, a month of anti-government protests had passed in which numerous people had been killed.

Further protests were planned in the city for Thursday, but they did not take place.

Downtown Nairobi was the centre of youth-led protests that took place across the country.

The protests were initially directed against unpopular tax increases, but after they were repealed they expanded to include calls for the resignation of President William Ruto.

Online posters called on people to gather at Uhuru Park in the city centre on Thursday and then march to State House, the president’s official residence.

But some of the activists who had helped mobilize the protests in the past distanced themselves from this call.

Police said that “to ensure public safety, no demonstrations will be permitted in Nairobi’s central business district and its environs until further notice.”

The Supreme Court later stayed the order pending a hearing on a lawsuit filed by a civil rights organization.

The ban sparked a storm of outrage online, with some arguing that the police did not have such powers because Kenyan law gave citizens the right to hold demonstrations.

In anticipation of the protests, there was a heavy police presence in the capital.

But since the protests largely failed to materialize, cautious shops that had initially waited did not reopen their doors until later in the day.

Acting police chief Douglas Kanja said in a statement that the decision was made after receiving “credible intelligence indicating that organised criminal groups are planning to exploit the ongoing protests”.

“Criminals continue to infiltrate protest groups, leading to a disturbing trend of improper and destructive behavior,” it said.

The organization added that its decision was also due to the “lack of designated leadership at previous demonstrations,” which “made it difficult to enforce safety protocols.”

Since the protests began, the president has backtracked and given in to some of the protesters’ demands, including withdrawing the controversial finance bill and dismissing his entire cabinet.

The police chief also resigned.

But people are demanding tougher measures against bad governance and corruption and demanding that the police be held accountable for the deaths of dozens of protesters at recent rallies.

According to the state-funded Kenya Human Rights Commission, at least 50 demonstrators have been killed and 413 injured since the protests began on June 18.