NAIROBI: Kenyans took to the streets on Wednesday under heavy security to mark the one-year anniversary of anti-government protests that culminated in the storming of parliament and several deaths as police fired on demonstrators.
Although the protests eventually faded after President William Ruto withdrew proposed tax hikes that had initially sparked the rallies, public anger over the use of force by security agencies has not abated, with fresh demonstrations erupting this month over the death of a blogger in police custody.
Six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder on Tuesday over the killing of 31-year-old blogger and teacher, Albert Ojwang. All have pleaded not guilty.
The death of Ojwang has become a lightning rod for Kenyans still mourning the deaths of more than 60 people killed during last year’s demonstrations and blaming security forces for the fatalities and dozens of unexplained abductions.
Police officers in anti-riot gear restricted vehicular traffic along most roads leading to Nairobi’s central business district, Reuters witnesses saw on Wednesday.
The interior ministry in a post on X on Tuesday warned protesters not to “provoke police” or “attempt to breach protected areas.”
The unprecedented scenes on June 25, 2024, showing police firing at demonstrators as they broke through barriers to enter parliament, created the biggest crisis of Ruto’s presidency and sparked alarm among Kenya’s international allies.
On Tuesday, the embassies of the United States, Britain, Canada, and other Western nations released a joint statement on X urging all involved to “facilitate peaceful demonstrations and to refrain from violence.”
“The use of plain clothed officers in unmarked vehicles erodes public trust,” the statement said. Rights campaigners condemned the presence of unidentified police officers at protests last year.
The embassies also said they were troubled by the use of hired “goons” to disrupt peaceful demonstrations, after Reuters reporters saw groups of men beating protesters with sticks and whips last week.
Kenya’s foreign affairs ministry said in a statement late on Tuesday that any policing violations would be addressed through government institutions including the parliament and the judiciary.
“The ministry reminds all that diplomatic partnerships flourish best in mutual respect, open channels and a recognition of each other’s unique governance contexts,” it said.
The counter-protesters have defended their actions, telling Reuters that they are not goons but rather patriots protecting property from looters.
Two police officers were arrested last week over the shooting of an unarmed civilian during a protest in Nairobi over the death of Ojwang, the blogger.
Kenya’s police chief initially implied that Ojwang had died by suicide but later apologized after an autopsy found that his wounds pointed to assault as the cause of death.
President Ruto said that Ojwang had died “at the hands of the police,” which he said was “heartbreaking and unacceptable.”
Kenyans stage street protests one year after storming parliament
https://arab.news/zn5hj
Kenyans stage street protests one year after storming parliament
- Protests mark anniversary of anti-government demonstrations
- Police block roads in Nairobi
- Western embassies urge peaceful protest, condemn use of force
Tarique Rahman-led BNP set to form Bangladesh’s next government after major election win
- Jamaat-e-Islami, banned during Hasina’s government, won 68 seats
- Majority of Bangladeshis endorsed sweeping reforms in national referendum
DHAKA: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Tarique Rahman, is set to form the country’s next government after securing a more than two-thirds majority in the first elections since a student-led uprising in 2024 ousted ex-prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.
The BNP has won at least 209 seats out of the 299 contested, according to the latest election results released by the Election Commission on Friday, paving the way for Rahman to become the country’s next prime minister.
Jamaat-e-Islami, banned during Hasina’s 15 years in power, has registered its best performance yet, winning at least 68 seats and emerging as the main opposition party.
The National Citizen Party, which was born out of the 2024 protests, was in third place with six seats, including for its leader Nahid Islam, while Hasina’s Awami League was barred from participating in the elections.
The majority of Bangladeshis also reportedly voted “yes” in a national referendum on the “July National Charter” that was held alongside the general vote on Thursday.
Named after the month when the uprising that toppled Hasina began, the charter is aimed at achieving sweeping democratic reforms to prevent authoritarian administrations, including term limits for premiers, stronger presidential powers and greater judicial independence, while also proposing increased representation of women in parliament.
The BNP-led government is likely to follow the commitments made under the charter, said Prof. A.S.M. Amanullah, vice chancellor of the National University in Dhaka, adding that the implementation of the July charter was also included in the party’s election manifesto that covers reform of the state and rebuilding of the economy.
“Mr. Tarique Rahman is a highly trained politician, highly sensitive politician, and he takes decisions based on facts. I believe he prepared himself to run this country locally and play a role internationally,” Amanullah told Arab News.
Rahman is the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and former President Ziaur Rahman. He returned to Bangladesh late last year after nearly two decades of self-imposed exile in the UK, and assumed BNP’s leadership days later, following his mother’s death from a prolonged illness.
In an interview with Arab News earlier this week, the 60-year-old pledged to pursue accountability for the former leadership and meet the political and economic expectations of the youth movement that brought about the change.
The new government is likely to be a mix of young and old politicians, Amanullah said, with Jemaat-e-Islami set to balance out the BNP’s rule.
“This is a very good size of opposition to press the issues or to challenge the government on different issues, different policies and decisions of the government. I’m hopeful about Jemaat,” he said.
“The way the people voted for these major two parties, the BNP and Jemaat, I think if they could work jointly, Bangladesh should see a stable political situation in the near future.”
Mohiuddin Ahmad, a political analyst and researcher, described Jemaat-e-Islami as “the most organized party” in Bangladesh and that it would therefore play an “instrumental” role as the opposition party.
Voter turnout averaged 59.44 percent, the EC said, with many Bangladeshis considering this week’s vote as their first “free and fair” election after more than 17 years.
“Such a result of an election we haven’t actually experienced before,” Muhiuddin Iqbal, a history student at Dhaka University, told Arab News.
“The festive feeling has not gone yet, so we’re very much excited about it and hopeful for the future.”
