[PHOTOS] Nairobi under tight security as Saba Saba protesters rounded up

Several protesters were reportedly taken into police custody in Nairobi on Tuesday as officers mounted heavy patrols across the city during this year's Saba Saba demonstrations.

Videos and images seen by The Star showed security officers detaining people in different parts of the city as they moved to disperse protesters attempting to gather.

In one incident, several uniformed police officers, accompanied by plainclothes officers, were seen bundling a protester into a police vehicle.

In another, plainclothes officers were seen appearing to place an activist into the boot of a vehicle.

The developments came as Kenya marked Saba Saba, a day historically associated with pro-democracy protests that, in recent years, has also been marked by demonstrations over governance and economic issues.

Heavy security was evident across Nairobi's central business district, with convoys of police vehicles patrolling major streets for much of the morning.

Anti-riot police officers were deployed at key intersections and public spaces, while mounted police officers on horseback patrolled parts of the city centre.

A mix of uniformed and plainclothes officers was also deployed across several locations to monitor movement and prevent protesters from assembling.

Police mounted roadblocks along major entry points into Nairobi, subjecting motorists to security checks before allowing them to proceed into the city.

The heightened security presence significantly reduced activity in parts of the CBD, with fewer pedestrians and vehicles than on a typical weekday, as many businesses remained closed.

The security operation also extended to strategic government installations, including the area around Jogoo House, where officers prevented demonstrators from staging protests outside the Office of the President.

Organisers of the Saba Saba demonstrations had earlier maintained that the march would proceed, saying they had formally notified police of the planned procession and insisting the protests were intended to remain peaceful while calling on Parliament to address various national concerns.

Police, however, maintained they had not received any notification of a public procession as required by law.