Protesters sporadically clash with police again in Kenya on Thursday, the third day of protests against the government and inflation, but the situation so far appears less violent than on the previous two days.
In the densely populated Nairobi slums of Kibera and Mathare, youths erected barricades, set fire to tires and threw projectiles at police, dressed in riot gear, who fired tear gas.
Weekly events
A large number of police patrol the Kenyan capital, where the activity is less bubbling and the traffic less dense than usual.
In Kisumu, western Kenya, the stronghold of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, small groups of protesters lit fires in the middle of the road and threw stones at police.
Mr Odinga has called for bi-weekly protests against the government - every Monday and Thursday - accusing President William Ruto of having "
stolen
" the August presidential election, of being "
illegitimate
" but also of being incapable to curb soaring prices.
On the previous two days, protests - declared illegal by police - had escalated, with police using water cannons, firing tear gas canisters, but also occasionally opening fire with live ammunition, while looters went on a rampage. .
Two civilians were killed - in western Kenya - and 51 police officers and 85 civilians were injured during these two days, which were also marked by the looting of a business belonging to Mr. Odinga in Nairobi and of a farm owned by Uhuru Kenyatta, Mr. Ruto's predecessor, in the suburbs of the capital.
Prosecute anyone disturbing public order
On Wednesday, the Minister of the Interior, Kithure Kindiki, assured that anyone disturbing public order would be prosecuted "
regardless of the political party
" to which he belongs, while denouncing, in a press release "
the 'anarchy and criminal madness
'.
Many Kenyans struggle to feed themselves on a daily basis, faced with rising prices of basic necessities, the depreciation of the Kenyan shilling and unprecedented drought in parts of the country.
In February, inflation reached 9.2% year on year, with food prices alone rising by 13.3%.
