Deadly Nairobi Protest Erupts Amid Claims of Activist Abductions

NAIROBI— One person was killed and two others were wounded on Tuesday after clashes broke out between police and residents in Nairobi’s Mathare informal settlement during protests over the alleged abduction of two activists, according to witnesses and local campaigners.

An AFP journalist at the scene reported that one person was shot dead as running battles unfolded between demonstrators and police officers in the densely populated settlement in eastern Nairobi.

The unrest followed allegations that two activists, Maxwell Kiarie and Abdulaziz Molu, had been abducted by security forces in separate incidents over the past two weeks. Kenyan authorities had not publicly commented on the allegations.

Wanjira Wanjiru of the Mathare Social Justice Center said activists had planned a peaceful gathering to demand the release of the two men, describing their disappearance as part of growing concerns over alleged enforced disappearances.

“The action underscores growing concern over enforced disappearances,” Wanjiru said in a statement.

Images circulating on social media appeared to show small groups of protesters confronting police officers as tear gas drifted through parts of the settlement. Reuters could not independently verify the footage.

The protests came less than a week after Kenyan authorities deployed large numbers of security personnel across Nairobi during a day of remembrance organized by campaigners for demonstrators killed in earlier protests.

Although the June 25 commemorations passed without widespread unrest, rights groups and activists said several campaigners were arrested while others were reported missing for several days following the security operation.

Mathare, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, is home to several hundred thousand residents and has frequently been the site of demonstrations over social, political and economic grievances.