Goons have infiltrated the ongoing protests in Nairobi CBD and are engaged in mugging pedestrians, especially in backstreets east of Moi Avenue.
So brazen are the daylight muggings that in some incidents, escaping pedestrians were pursued into matatus where they had gone to seek refuge.
With police and city askaris concentrated in uptown streets west of Moi Avenue near Parliament and other critical installations, the goons are having a field day in backstreets like Luthuli Avenue, Latema Road and River Road, sending pedestrians on a fleeting spree.
Shops remained closed as business owners stood outside to guard their property and keep looters at bay.
The protest turned chaotic, with lurid scenes of people gasping, blinded by teargas, and stumbling through the smoke.
Traffic in and out of the CBD is constrained, with protesters blocking sections of main transport roads like Thika Road and Uhuru Highway.
Meanwhile, dozens of young men armed with rungus stormed the CBD, engaging protesters
in running battles.
The youths, some of whom wore heavy
clothing and face masks to conceal their identities, clashed with
demonstrators demanding justice for Albert Ojwang’, the teacher and
social media influencer who died in police custody on June 7.
The
armed group arrived in the CBD shortly after midday and began chasing
away protesters who had gathered earlier in the morning.
In a live
video, the rungu-wielding men were seen beating protesters and forcing
them to retreat from the CBD.
The protesters have also continued to call for the resignation of Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat.
Although
Lagat stepped aside on Monday, June 16, pending investigations, many
Kenyans insist that his temporary withdrawal is insufficient and are
demanding his full resignation.