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Protester killed as crowds call for Kenyan leader to leave

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Anti-government protesters in Kenya have returned to the streets, intensifying demands for President William Ruto to resign, despite his recent concessions.

A man was shot dead during a clash between protesters and security forces on the outskirts of the capital, a BBC reporter at the scene said.

In central Nairobi, shops were closed as police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters.

Protests began last month against an unpopular tax law, which has since been withdrawn by the president.

But they continued, turning into broader anger over poor governance, corruption and police accountability for the deaths of dozens of protesters at recent rallies.

Last week, President Ruto called for a “dialogue” as he fired his entire cabinet and the police chief resigned.

The protest movement is largely coordinated online by young Kenyans, many of whom have rejected negotiations and are calling for Ruto to “go away”.

A crowd carried the body of the protester killed on Tuesday in Kitengela, south of Nairobi, to a nearby police station. Police have not commented on the man’s death.

Protesters shouted “Ruto must go”, lit bonfires on the road and threw stones as they clashed with police, a BBC reporter at the scene said.

Chaotic scenes were also witnessed in other parts of the country, including Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Nyeri.

A reporter from Kenyan television station K24 was also seriously injured by a bullet while covering protests in Nakuru. She was shot in the thigh and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper reports that there are protests in almost half of the country’s 47 counties.

The tax law was withdrawn after protesters invaded the Parliament building complex on June 25 and set part of it on fire.

So far, dozens of people have been killed since the demonstrations began, with the state-funded human rights body putting the death toll at no fewer than 50 people and the injured at 413.

On Tuesday, the acting police chief said there was “credible information” that “certain organized criminal groups” planned to “infiltrate, disrupt and destabilize” the protests.

Douglas Kanja called on protesting Kenyans to be “peaceful and vigilant” and to “cooperate and coordinate with the police” to ensure their safety and “our collective safety”.

On Monday, Ruto accused the Ford Foundation of funding the protests.

In a statement, the US-based organization denied the allegations, saying: “We did not fund or sponsor the recent protests against the financial law.”

Additional reporting by BBC’s Mercy Juma in Nairobi.

A woman (C) who suffered tear gas inhalation is rescued during new demonstrations in Nairobi, on July 16, 2024.

Businesses were closed in central Nairobi where this woman was helped after tear gas was fired by police [AFP]

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