Kenyan police have arrested several protesters following clashes with demonstrators demanding lower fuel prices and relief from the rising cost of living in Nairobi.
The protests, held on Monday, saw police and demonstrators engage in running battles across the capital’s Central Business District, despite a heavy security deployment.
Protesters gathered along Moi Avenue and Kimathi Street, carrying placards calling for the removal of fuel taxes and expressing frustration over the financial pressure on households and businesses.
Some of the placards read “Remove taxes on fuel” and “Wakenya wako njaa”, a Swahili expression meaning “Kenyans are hungry”.
The demonstrations followed the latest fuel price review by Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority for the October-November pricing period, which pushed petrol prices in Nairobi to 226.96 Kenyan shillings per litre, diesel to 227.76 shillings and kerosene to 219.87 shillings.
One protester, who was being bundled into a police vehicle, demanded fuel subsidies and criticised President William Ruto over the rising cost of living. He questioned why police were arresting demonstrators instead of recognising the hardship facing ordinary Kenyans.
The protest was organised by the Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, which notified police of its intention to hold a peaceful march from Kimathi Street to State House in Nairobi.
In a letter dated October 22 and received at police headquarters the same day, the coalition said the demonstration was intended to draw attention to the rising cost of fuel and its impact on households and businesses.
The organisers estimated that between 500 and 900 people would participate and pledged to maintain order, ensure peaceful participation and respect the rights of other members of the public.
However, the march descended into confrontations with police, with several demonstrators arrested and taken into custody.
The latest protests add to growing public discontent over the cost of living and the expense of doing business in Kenya. In August, traders in central Nairobi staged demonstrations against a higher customs valuation benchmark introduced by the Kenya Revenue Authority, which they said would increase import costs and put pressure on small businesses.
The customs measure raised the minimum benchmark for a consolidated 40-foot container to 3.2 million Kenyan shillings from 2.5 million shillings. The revenue authority said the change was intended to address the under-declaration and undervaluation of imported goods, which it argued disadvantaged compliant businesses and local manufacturers.
Traders warned that the higher benchmark could increase the cost of importing goods, particularly for small businesses that rely on consolidated shipments to keep expenses down.
The recurring demonstrations reflect mounting concerns among sections of the Kenyan public over fuel costs, taxation and the broader financial pressures facing households and businesses.
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