Kenyan opposition politicians arrested, tear gassed during protests
Recasts, adds details on Odinga's brush with police
By Humphrey Malalo and Ayenat Mersie
NAIROBI, March 20 (Reuters) -Kenyan police tear gassed the leader of the opposition on Monday and arrested senior lawmakers in his parliamentary faction, as protesters took to the streets to march against President William Ruto and the high cost of living.
The convoy of Raila Odinga, who was defeated by Ruto last year in his fifth straight election as the runner up, was repeatedly sprayed with tear gas as he addressed supporters from the sunroof of his car.
Odinga has called for nationwide protests as he attempts to harness dissatisfaction with the president. At least four members of parliament were arrested during protests in Nairobi, including the minority leaders of the National Assembly and Senate, Odinga's spokesman, Dennis Onyango, said.
Police officers in riot gear fired tear gas at hundreds of rock-throwing protesters in the capital Nairobi's vast Kibera slum, who chanted: "Ruto must go."
"We are suffering and tired of this Ruto regime. We've had enough," said one protester, who asked not to be identified, as tear gas swirled around her.
The discontented include some of those who voted for Ruto and feel he has not delivered on pledges to help the country's forgotten "hustlers", or working-class Kenyans.
Police used tear gas and a water cannon to prevent Odinga's convoy from driving towards the president's State House residence to deliver a petition.
The convoy then sped through the streets of the capital attempting to dodge police roadblocks, before Odinga emerged from the sunroof to address a crowd of supporters. Tear gas engulfed the vehicle as he spoke, calling for protests every Monday until the cost of living comes down.
In the western city of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold, police also firedbarrages of tear gas in the direction of protesters who had started fires in the road, footage on Citizen TV showed.
Nairobi police chief Adamson Bungei said he would have details about arrests in the capital laterin the day.
Despite Ruto's promises to bring down living costs since taking power in September, inflation has remained high in East Africa's economic powerhouse, rising to 9.2% in February.
Ruto has said his government is laying the foundations of a healthier economy, including by cutting reliance on borrowing.
Odinga has cast the demonstration as an opportunity to protest against theAugust vote, which he says was tainted by fraud.
He challenged the results in the Supreme Court last year, but the court affirmed Ruto's win, and there was little of the violence that marred elections Odinga also disputed in2007 and 2017.
Reporting by Ayenat Mersie, Humphrey Malalo and Thomas Mukoya; Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Hereward Holland and Peter Graff
면책조항: XM Group 회사는 체결 전용 서비스와 온라인 거래 플랫폼에 대한 접근을 제공하여, 개인이 웹사이트에서 또는 웹사이트를 통해 이용 가능한 콘텐츠를 보거나 사용할 수 있도록 허용합니다. 이에 대해 변경하거나 확장할 의도는 없습니다. 이러한 접근 및 사용에는 다음 사항이 항상 적용됩니다: (i) 이용 약관, (ii) 위험 경고, (iii) 완전 면책조항. 따라서, 이러한 콘텐츠는 일반적인 정보에 불과합니다. 특히, 온라인 거래 플랫폼의 콘텐츠는 금융 시장에서의 거래에 대한 권유나 제안이 아닙니다. 금융 시장에서의 거래는 자본에 상당한 위험을 수반합니다.
온라인 거래 플랫폼에 공개된 모든 자료는 교육/정보 목적으로만 제공되며, 금융, 투자세 또는 거래 조언 및 권고, 거래 가격 기록, 금융 상품 또는 원치 않는 금융 프로모션의 거래 제안 또는 권유를 포함하지 않으며, 포함해서도 안됩니다.
이 웹사이트에 포함된 모든 의견, 뉴스, 리서치, 분석, 가격, 기타 정보 또는 제3자 사이트에 대한 링크와 같이 XM이 준비하는 콘텐츠 뿐만 아니라, 제3자 콘텐츠는 일반 시장 논평으로서 "현재" 기준으로 제공되며, 투자 조언으로 여겨지지 않습니다. 모든 콘텐츠가 투자 리서치로 해석되는 경우, 투자 리서치의 독립성을 촉진하기 위해 고안된 법적 요건에 따라 콘텐츠가 의도되지 않았으며, 준비되지 않았다는 점을 인지하고 동의해야 합니다. 따라서, 관련 법률 및 규정에 따른 마케팅 커뮤니케이션이라고 간주됩니다. 여기에서 접근할 수 있는 앞서 언급한 정보에 대한 비독립 투자 리서치 및 위험 경고 알림을 읽고, 이해하시기 바랍니다.
