Kenyan police fired tear gas at small groups of demonstrators in the capital Nairobi on Thursday, AFP journalists saw, a day after President William Ruto agreed to scrap contentious tax hikes and called for dialogue following deadly protests.
The protests this month — led largely by young, Gen-Z Kenyans — caught the authorities off-guard, as Ruto’s government ricocheted between taking a tough line on the protests and issuing entreaties for dialogue with the demonstrators.
Dozens of protesters made their way to Nairobi’s central business district on Thursday, with soldiers deployed and police in anti-riot gear blocking access along roads leading to State House — Ruto’s office — and parliament, according to AFP journalists on the scene.
AFP journalists saw officers firing tear gas at dozens of protesters in small groups and arresting three people, as local TV showed isolated scuffles in Nairobi.
Many shops remained shuttered as traders worried about …