One person was shot dead and two others wounded on Tuesday as running battles erupted between locals and police in a Nairobi informal settlement, AFP journalists reported. The violence followed the alleged abduction of two activists by security forces.
Fresh Unrest in Mathare
The protests broke out in the Mathare informal settlement over the disappearances of Maxwell Kiarie and Abdulaziz Molu, who were reportedly taken under unclear circumstances over the past two weeks. An AFP reporter on the scene confirmed one fatality and two injuries from gunfire.
Wanjira Wanjiru of the Mathare Social Justice Center stated that activists had planned a peaceful gathering to demand the release of the two men. “The action underscores growing concern over enforced disappearances,” she said in a statement.
Background of the Protests
The Kenyan capital had been shut down last week by a massive police deployment after campaigners declared a day of remembrance for protesters killed by security forces in previous demonstrations. June 25 passed without significant unrest due to the heavy police presence, but several activists were arrested and some disappeared for days. Others had already been detained in the run-up to that day.
Images on social media showed small groups clashing with officers, with tear gas rising between buildings in Mathare, a sprawling informal settlement on Nairobi’s east that is home to several hundred thousand people.
