- Title: Uneasy calm in Kenya's Nairobi as more protests loom
- Date: 4th July 2024
- Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (JULY 4, 2024) (REUTERS) POLICE OFFICER IN RIOT HELMET WATCHING PEDESTRIANS WALK SIGN ON BUILDING READING (English): "KENYA" PEOPLE WALKING WOMAN AND MAN TALKING MAN SITTING ON BENCH VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) NAIROBI RESIDENT, BRIAN, SAYING: "I mean, right now you can see around, it looks good. So, it's kind of normal. We don't know what's going to happen. Maybe sometime from now, maybe 30 minutes, one hour from now - but right now it looks kind of OK. You can see around, our police are there. To me, it looks cool." WOMAN STANDING NEXT TO ADVERTISEMENT TRAFFIC POLICE TALKING TO EACH OTHER MAN LOOKING OUT FROM BUS WINDOW VARIOUS OF MAN SITTING ON BENCH BRUSHING HIS HAIR VARIOUS OF POLICE IN RIOT GEAR (SOUNDBITE) (English) "Yeah, today it looks a bit calm, because the main protest that was supposed to happen, the goons took over. So the main people decided to relax today. Because if you protest today, the policemen will deal with you, because their goons are destroying property. Yes. So today, I don't think more people will protest." POLICE SIMCARD VENDORS TALKING TO EACH OTHER VARIOUS OF POLICE KENYA FLAG
- Embargoed: 18th July 2024 08:10
- Keywords: africa civil conflict east government kenya lawmakers lawmaking nairobi peace police politics president protests security unrest violence war
- Location: NAIROBI, KENYA
- City: NAIROBI, KENYA
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Africa,Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA001607404072024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: An uneasy calm hung over the Kenyan capital on Thursday (July 4) after weeks of sometimes violent protests, with armed police officers patrolling the streets as residents and businesses braced for potential fresh unrest.
While pedestrians went about their daily routines and traffic flowed relatively normally in some areas, there were signs of tension simmering beneath the surface calm.
"Right now you can see around, it looks good. So, it's kind of normal. We don't know what's going to happen," said Brian, a Nairobi resident, as he surveyed the scene around him where police in riot gear kept watch.
The relative quiet followed chaotic scenes that have persisted since last week, when protests calling for President William Ruto's resignation descended into violence, vandalism and looting.
Protest organizers from the "Gen Z" movement accused authorities of deploying "goons" to stir unrest and discredit their cause. But one man said the protest leaders had decided to pause demonstrations on Wednesday to regroup.
"Yeah, today it looks a bit calm, because the main protest that was supposed to happen, the goons took over. So the main people decided to relax today," he said.
As dawn broke over the city, clusters of police remained on high alert, suggesting the authorities were bracing for the possibility of renewed unrest in the days ahead in East Africa's richest economy and regional hub.
(Production: Cooper Inveen) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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