16 killed, rights group says as thousands march in Nairobi

At least 16 people have been killed and 400 injured in nationwide protests in Kenya against President William Ruto’s government, human rights group Amnesty Kenya has said.

Police clashed with protesters, who marched in their thousands – some chanting “Ruto must go” and waving branches as a symbol of peaceful opposition to his rule.

The government banned live TV and radio coverage of the demonstrations, but its decree was overturned by the High Court in the capital, Nairobi.

Ruto urged protesters not to threaten peace and stability, as crowds tried to reach his official residence but were pushed back by police.

“Protests should not be to destroy peace in Kenya. We do not have another country to go to when things go wrong. It is our responsibility to keep our country safe,” he said.

The president was speaking at a burial ceremony in the coastal county of Kilifi.

His absence from State House, his official residence, was notable as young protesters threatened to storm it.

Police used barricades and razor wire to seal off major roads – especially those leading to State House and parliament.

The protests were held exactly a year after demonstrators stormed parliament, setting part of the building ablaze.

At least 60 people were killed in a wave of anti-government protests last year.

The authorities have not yet given any casualty figures from Wednesday’s protests, but the Kenya Medical Association, Law Society of Kenya and the Police Reforms Working Group said in a joint statement that at least eight protesters were killed.

Of the 400 injured, 83 required “specialised treatment” and eight had suffered gunshot wounds. The injured included three police officers, the statement added.

Amina Mude told the BBC she joined the protests “to fight for the future of my kids”.

“I feel like as a country we’re not going in the right direction, especially in education and everything happening.

“I feel like it’s high time that the country and the leadership listens to us.”

Video footage showed plumes of white tear gas drifting between buildings in Narobi, sending protesters scrambling for cover, coughing, and shielding their eyes.

In the heart of the city, protesters marched pass shuttered shops and empty streets.

The fence around parliament was lined with wreaths and handwritten notes from grieving families and defiant youths – a reminder of last year’s unrest at the site.

A young woman draped in a Kenyan flag clutched a poster bearing the names of those killed a year ago by the security forces as they tried to end the protests.