Kenya (MNN) — Youth-led protests have rocked parts of Kenya this year, and last week they turned deadly.
The suspicious death of 31-year-old blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody was one spark. That early June incident is under investigation. Then last Wednesday, thousands hit the streets of Nairobi to mark the anniversary of June 2024 protests.
But like last year, the demonstrations turned tragically violent. Clashes between police and demonstrators left hundreds were wounded and at least 16 dead.
Bruce Allen with FMI spoke with a partner church planter named Caleb who witnessed these events — not by choice.
“He was in Nairobi for work, and then just saw the crowd of people,” Allen says. “Things got chaotic. ‘And suddenly,’ [Caleb] says, ‘I was caught between water cannons, tear gas and panic. It was terrifying.’” It was some time before he was able to contact his family to let them know he was safe.
Deep-set divide
There are real differences between the Kenyan government and its people, and neither side is innocent. The government denied that police used excessive force on Wednesday’s protests, which it labeled as an attempted coup. Officials ordered media outlets not to give live coverage to the demonstrations.
Meanwhile, protestors set cars and buildings on fire and looted Nairobi storefronts. Protests were also reported in communities surrounding Nairobi.
(Photo courtesy of IMB, CC 4.0)
Yet legitimate concerns exist beneath the chaos. According to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) in Kenya, 20 people have died in police custody in the past four months. Kenya’s next generation is frustrated by the police brutality, corruption, and economic hardship that seem to be going unaddressed.
“They feel like their concerns are falling on deaf ears, or that even politicians are exploiting them and will use them as cannon fodder, sadly,” says Allen.
For example, not all protesters are there for the same reasons. One said he was hired to join a demonstration — in his case, for the equivalent of around $40. There are serious risks to this: Four young men from Caleb’s neighborhood were among those killed this week.
“[Caleb] said they were full of promise. He said they were used and discarded by politicians who paid them to protest,” Allen says.
In the aftermath of these events in Nairobi, Caleb shared this: “But ministry has to go on. It’s the Church of Christ that offers any semblance of hope, even when life is being taken away. We press on.”
Here are ways Caleb asks for your prayers:
- Pray for peace and calm to pervade the streets and for protection over all those who are caught in the unrest, especially the young people, who are the most vulnerable.
- Pray for justice for the lives that have been lost, and for healing in the hearts of families and communities that have been deeply affected.
- Pray for the ministry of local churches, that they may be channels of hope, of comfort and strength to those who are hurting right now.
“Your prayers mean everything to us,” said Caleb.
Header photo: City scene in Nairobi, Kenya (Stock photo courtesy of Nicholas Gray/Unsplash).
