Clashes mar Kenyan anti-corruption protest

By Magdalene Mukami and Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – Chaos erupted in the Kenyan capital on Thursday when police fired tear gas at thousands of anti-corruption protesters.

Organizers had just finished their speeches when the first burst of tear gas was heard, bringing the demonstration to a premature end.

More canisters were fired by police who had encircled the city's Uhuru Park, trapping protesters in one spot.

Men, women and children who were minutes before chanting for Kenyan leader Uhuru Kenyatta to resign if he could not control corruption could be seen running to escape the thick gray smoke which filled the park.

Addressing thousands of Kenyans before the riots broke out, Boniface Mwangi, a human rights activist called on the government to jail those involved in corruption following the theft of five billion Kenya shillings (roughly $42 million) meant for expectant mothers, children and disabled people from the Health Ministry.

“We are here to march against corruption. If the president cannot handle corruption then he should step down and we can elect someone who can do that; we are tired of the rise in corruption in the country,” Mwangi said.

Mwangi added that the president himself during an anti-corruption summit in Nairobi had declared he was unable to fight the practice.

“We are going to peacefully march to State House to give him a solution. If the police come, we will sit down. If they attack us today we will know that the president does not want to fight corruption,” he added.

Among the protesters were representatives from the Kenya Human Rights Commission, PAWA 254, Transparency International Kenya, the Third Way Alliance and other civil society organizations.