Kenyan authorities clash with protesters demanding action over rising fuel prices and economic hardships.
Protests broke out in Nairobi on Tuesday as demonstrators took to the streets over rising fuel prices, with police moving in and local media reporting at least 11 arrests.
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Authorities had earlier declared the planned demonstrations unlawful, saying no formal notice had been filed for protests in the city centre, Viory reports.
Footage from the capital showed groups of protesters marching through central Nairobi as police vehicles moved in and several people were detained. Residents said the anger was being driven by record pump prices and the wider cost-of-living squeeze, with transport costs rising sharply for ordinary Kenyans.
Many businesses remained open, but there were reports of blockades and clashes in parts of the central business district before police dispersed the crowds. The demonstrations came despite President William Ruto’s recent insistence that protests would not lower prices and that the focus should be on finding practical solutions.
The protests unfolded against the backdrop of a wider global energy shock linked to the war in the Middle East and restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The International Energy Agency has described the disruption as “the greatest threat to global energy security in history,” with oil supply and tanker movements severely affected.
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