Police in Kenya clashed with anti-government protesters in the capital, Nairobi, in a fresh round of demonstrations called by the opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Protesters turned up early Tuesday morning to erect barricades on major roads around the city, the AFP news agency reports.
Business was paralyzed in the western Kisumu city, an opposition stronghold, as police clashed with protesters.
The opposition is calling for action to tackle rising cost of living and reforms to the electoral commission that oversaw last year’s election that was won by President William Ruto.
Odinga rejected the government’s position that Tuesday protests are illegal and urged his supporters to turn up in large numbers.
He said the protests will be peaceful. The police chief had banned the protests, citing previous violent demonstrations that led to business premises being looted and pedestrians robbed.
President Ruto on Monday warned opposition supporters against destroying private property, saying he would not allow violent protests. He urged Odinga to reconsider returning to talks.
Odinga had called off protests during the holy month of Ramadan to pave the way for the talks proposed by the president.
Both the opposition and the ruling party nominated politicians to take part in those talks, but the opposition rejected some of those nominated by the ruling party.
They also demanded stakeholders from outside parliament to be involved in the dialogue. The talks have stalled.
