- Some businesses remained closed in the morning hours most likely because of fears of chaos.
- Police dispersed a group that tried to stage a protest in Mathare slums Friday morning.
Image: FILE
Rains and a heavy presence of police greeted the start of planned Saba Saba events in Nairobi on Friday morning. Police declared a meeting to mark the event at Kamkunji Grounds had been allowed to go on.
Police mounted roadblocks on roads around State House ahead of the planned street protests in the city.
Officers deployed on the roadblocks were forced to retreat to their lorries and vehicles from the rain and cold in the city.
Other officers were seen patrolling city streets and informing any group to disperse.
Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said they had allowed the organisers of the events to hold them at Kamkunji Grounds.
“Their meeting at Kamkunji Grounds is allowed and they can proceed. They are not allowed to hold street protests,” he said.
He added they had mobilized enough personnel to ensure security in the city and at the event.
Some businesses remained closed in the morning hours.
There were few pedestrians on the streets on Friday morning.
Police dispersed a group that tried to stage a protest in Mathare slums Friday morning.
No one was injured but residents protested the police move saying it was provocative.
Azimio La Umoja Coalition and groups of civil societies have called for protests on Friday, July 7, to mark Saba Saba Day which is usually associated with the struggle for a multiparty system.
The protests will also mark the start of a new chapter to protest the high cost of living in the country occasioned by the political class after the passing of the Finance Act 2023.
The organisers said their protests to take place across the country will be peaceful.
Deputy President Geoffrey Gachagua waged into the issue saying they will not allow any form of violent protests to take place.
Dozens of police were deployed to various places and at times braced for the cold and rains to inspect cars using the roads around State House.
Police argued State House being a vital installation, there was a need for periodic security checks around there.
Dozens of armed police officers laid roadblocks on roads leading to State House in Nairobi ahead of the planned meetings.
Police were deployed with spikes at various points on major roads including State House Road, State House Avenue, Processional Way and Dennis Pritt where they briefly stopped and questioned motorists.
The officers said they were then under instructions not to allow the motorcyclists as they could be used to ferry crowds to State House.
A survey showed a heavy presence of anti-riot police on major roads and informal settlements.
They plan to trail leaders of the protests and disperse them if they try to venture into the Central Business District.
This came after Azimio La Umoja leaders said their protests against the cost of living, and electoral malpractices among others will go on as planned.
Dozens of new police officers were brought to Nairobi to back up those already in the city.
Others were sent to other places like Muranga and Kiambu where officials said there were plans for more such meetings.
The move to block some roads scared some road users who have stayed away hence rendering it counterproductive.
The organisers of the protests say they plan to launch a signature collection session to register their displeasure with the government and later leave a petition at the Office of the President and National Treasury, which are along Harambee Avenue.
But police fear the crowd might be huge and become out of control hence their move to restrict the meeting to Kamkunji.