Africa-Press – Kenya. Azimio supporters on Friday took to the streets of Nairobi and other parts of the country to heed Raila Odinga’s Saba Saba call. In a rare show, Kibra residents remained peaceful through the day’s events.
The day begun with a rally at Kamukunji grounds before Raila led the protesters towards the Central Park. Earlier, demonstrators lit bonfires in Nairobi and Kisumu streets and blocked some roads as the residents took to the streets.
Videos and photos circulating on Twitter showed tires burning and multiple cars making U-turns along Thika Superhighway. Reports said a section of youths in Mathare had blocked the Thika Superhighway and were stoning vehicles.
Police, however, arrived on time and dispersed the group. However, residents of Kibra were calm as they proceeded to Kamukunji and even later as they attempted to make it to Nairobi’s Central Business District.
The protesters, however, did not succeed as they were blocked from accessing the CBD by police. Raila was, however, allowed to pass through and headed to Jaramogi Oginga Foundation, a feat he termed as a success.
Kibra has been synonymous with ugly encounters between police and protesters in previous demonstrations, sometimes resulting in casualties and injuries.
Some parts of the slum are hotspots for chaos during protests as was the case during the March demonstrations. Youths lit bonfires, blocked roads and engaged the police by hulling stones and returning teargas lobbed at them back to the officers.
This prompted police to block roads leading to Ngong Road to access CBD with water canons. Reiterating the Saba Saba call, Raila had urged his supporters to remain peaceful.
“We abhor violence. By embarking on pickets, protests, tax boycotts and civil disobedience, we are not in any way advocating violence,” he said on July 4. Azimio and its supporters were calling on the government to reduce the cost of living.
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