A day of rage: How peaceful Tuesday protests turned bloody

A middle-aged man, believed to be a hawker, was shot in broad daylight by a police officer during Tuesday’s protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District, as crowds marched to demand justice for slain teacher and blogger, Albert Ojwang.

What began as a peaceful protest quickly descended into chaos. 

Groups of men, some armed with wooden clubs and believed to be hired goons, surged through the streets in an unruly procession. 

Motorbike riders soon joined the melee, and what followed was a violent clash with demonstrators.

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Police responded with teargas, batons, and live bullets. 

Among the victims was the hawker seen moments earlier holding a bunch of face masks and engaging two armed police officers. 

Witnesses say a brief argument broke out before one of the officers pulled the trigger. 

The man collapsed with a sickening thud, his body left sprawled on Moi Avenue as stunned protestors screamed in horror and photojournalists clicked away.

Graphic images of the shooting, captured in real-time, have sparked national outrage and renewed scrutiny of police conduct during protests.

Calls for justice have grown louder, not only for Ojwang but now also for the unnamed hawker, whose only apparent crime was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

His blood stained the streets that had been filled with chants for accountability just moments before.

The police response has come under fierce criticism, with many questioning the legality and morality of the force’s tactics. 

The protesters were demonstrating against Albert Ojwang's murder, demanding the resignation of Deputy IG Eliud Lagat.

Officers were seen wearing balaclavas and masks, some even in plain clothes, despite a court ruling prohibiting such disguises.

Justice  Bahati Mwamuye had earlier ruled that law enforcement officers must remain identifiable during operations, particularly protests. 

In her decision, she stated that concealing identities "violates principles of transparency and hinders the identification of state agents when exercising coercive power."

Tuesday's events have drawn chilling parallels to the June 2024 anti-tax protests, which left at least 39 people dead across various towns, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).

[Photos by Jonah Onyango, Standard]