Calls for calm and dialogue in Kenya following Monday’s protests

Calls for calm and dialogue in Kenya have multiplied on Tuesday, including from the African Union (AU), in the wake of fresh protests marred by violence and looting.

On Monday, police fired tear gas to disperse opposition demonstrators in Nairobi and in the western town of Kisumu where one person was killed.

In Nairobi, in addition to tear gas, police also used a water cannon against opposition leader Raila Odinga’s convoy as it drove through a busy area of the city, leading to crowd movements.

The protests began on March 20th after a call by opposition leader Raila Odinga for by-weekly protests. 

Odinga accuses President William Ruto of being unable to control the soaring cost of living.

On Tuesday, the AU Commission chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, expressed his “deep concern about the violence during the demonstrations in Kenya”.