As early as 7 a.m. on Wednesday, protesters took to the streets and lit bonfires to mark the beginning of demonstrations in Kisumu. At the Kisumu bus terminus, a bonfire was lit with a section of residents on standby.
Most streets within the lakeside inclusive of Kondele town remain empty ahead of the protests. There are not many vehicles on the roads and most businesses remain closed ahead of the protests. There is little to no activity in the area aside from the lit bonfires.
The protesters have blocked the roads in the area adhering to Azimio’s call for demonstrations in the area. This comes regardless of the announcement made by IG Koome who termed the demonstrations as illegal since no official notice was sent to the police department.
Transport has also been paralysed in the area. People have ensured they keep away from the city at the risk of being caught in the crossfire of the protests. Only a few tuk-tuks in the area were seen on the road before the protests kicked off.
In Kisumu Boys roundabout, the roads have been blocked with stones and another bonfire lit in the area.
The police were also seen on site with heavy artillery ready to quell the protests. Most of them were deployed to Mombasa, Nairobi and Kisumu, known as the hotbed for protests. The police were seen patrolling in their lorry while others were walking the streets.
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Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance party called for the country-wide demonstrations to be held on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. They pushed its continued progress regardless of the allegations of intimidation from the government officials.
The UN Embassy released a statement calling on Ruto and Raila to hold a dialogue and find a peaceful way to resolve the differences that exist. The OHCHR also points out the danger of the police department’s use of force in quelling the demonstrations.
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