Kenyans protest police brutality in Nairobi - yet again

Kenyan police earlier this week fired tear gas and detained protesters demanding an end to police brutality.

About 100 people took part in demonstrations across the capital, Nairobi. Many Kenyans have been angered by a fresh wave of alleged police abuses while enforcing coronavirus restrictions.

David Oluoch, a protester: “We are not armed and we just wanted to take our petition very peacefully, but as you can see they (referring to police) are very armed.

“They have arrested some of us and they have injured some of us. Even in that vehicle there is one of us who has been arrested.”

Rights group Amnesty International said Kenyan police had killed at least 100 people in 2020, with 21 related to COVID infractions, such as curfew enforcement or mask violations.

At least six people were killed in the first 10 days alone, according to Human Rights Watch. President Kenyatta had cause to apologize for police excesses in one of his coronavirus addresses.