Kenya Protest Activists Rethink Strategy

Activists behind Kenya's anti-government protests are rethinking their strategy after demonstrations were marred by violence and looting that they fear could undermine the movement and its efforts to push President William Ruto to resign.

Some called on social media for the next planned demonstration on Thursday not to go ahead.

The activists say the violence was the work of "goons" hired by politicians to either discredit legitimate demonstrators or advance their own agendas, but they acknowledge that it risks undermining the protest movement.

“It seems the state has realized that the only way to counter this movement is by using goons to incite violence, break into people’s property, loot, and tarnish our cause,” Ojango Omondi, an activist in the capital Nairobi, said.

Kenya's government Spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. In a statement today, Interior Minister Kithure Kindike blamed violence on "hordes of marauding criminal gangs" and said there was an attempt to "politicize crime."

The initial protests last month against proposed tax hikes were overwhelmingly peaceful, although the police fired tear gas and water cannons at demonstrators.

The mobilization of Kenyans from across ethnic lines around common economic demands marked a notable break with previous protest movements, which have typically been organized by political figures with ethnic grievances often at the fore.

The protests have taken a violent turn in the past week. Some demonstrators briefly stormed parliament last week and the police opened fire, killing dozens.

The next day, President William Ruto withdrew the tax increases. But protesters vowed to carry on, issuing a range of demands, from anti-corruption measures to Ruto's resignation.