Uganda-bound truck set ablaze in Kenya protests

A cargo truck destined for Uganda was yesterday torched in Kenya as the country’s opposition defied a police ban and staged new demonstrations over the cost of living crisis and last year’s election results.

The truck was stopped by a group of rowdy protesters near Kibra along the Southern bypass, who then set it ablaze after they failed to break into the lorry container.

Police later dispersed them but could not put off the fire since there was no fire engine on site.

The truck driver, Mr Jibril Abduba, said he was carrying electricity cables from the port city of Mombasa destined for Kampala when he was stopped at around 11.50am.

 “When I arrived at this intersection, the youth began accosting us, throwing stones and projectiles at us, forcing the police officers who were engaging them to retreat before they attacked me as I was attempting to turn my vehicle,” he told journalists shortly after police had dispersed the rioters.

The driver said whereas police had initially cleared him to drive through the intersection, the riot turned violent very quickly. “The police advised us that everything was fine to drive through, but upon arriving here, they retreated and left us alone,” he said.

A passenger bus was also torched on one of the main roads in Nairobi, while youth blocked roads in several slum areas. However, most parts of the capital Nairobi were largely peaceful.

Protesters also set fires and used rocks to block roads in and out of Raila Odinga’s lakeside stronghold of Kisumu in western Kenya.

“What kind of protests are these now, why are they stoning people? My car has been damaged and I am just doing my own business,” said taxi driver Duncan Mukuche, whose vehicle had come under attack.

Nairobi Regional Police Commander Adamson Bungei had announced Sunday that Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja coalition had been denied permission to hold the demonstrations, saying the previous protests in March were “marred with violence”.

But the coalition insisted the action would go ahead. “Police cannot decide in advance that there shall be violence and then proceed to ban political activities that are protected by the constitution. That is the making of dictatorship,” it said in a statement earlier yesterday.

Police also used tear gas to disperse a section of Azimio leaders who attempted to drop a petition at the Office of the President on Harambee Avenue in Nairobi.

After the protests in the afternoon, Azimio leaders held a press conference, with Ms Martha Karua insisting that the demonstrations will continue tomorrow. Ms Karua said the violence was the work of government.

“Hooligans have been unleashed to cause mayhem and blame it on our peaceful protests,” she said.

Mr Odinga’s side had last month announced a halt to the demonstrations to allow bipartisan talks to take place, but the process appears to have stalled.

Background

Mr Odinga narrowly lost to President William Ruto — his fifth presidential election defeat — and continues to insist that the poll was fraudulent and that victory was “stolen”.

Dr Ruto, who critics say has broken several campaign promises since taking office in September, has branded the opposition action as “nonsense”. His government has voiced concerns about the impact of the demonstrations on the economy.