Police in Kenya have banned protests in the capital indefinitely, citing a lack of leadership that would ensure peaceful demonstrations.
The ban was announced hours before a planned protest later on Thursday, in which demonstrators were expected to march to the president’s office calling for his resignation over poor governance.
Acting police inspector general Douglas Kanja said in a statement that a lack of leadership had “made it difficult to enforce safety protocols.”
Protesters were yet to be spotted on Thursday but major roads leading to the president’s office remained barricaded by the police.
Kenya has seen a month of protests that started with calls for legislators to vote against a controversial finance bill that was proposing higher taxes amidst a cost-of-living crisis and ballooning public debt.
At least 50 people have died since the protests began on June 18, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
The president last week dismissed almost his entire Cabinet and the attorney general, as demanded by protesters who accused ministers of incompetence, corruption and displays of opulence.
Some businesses in Nairobi remained closed on a rainy morning in anticipation of planned protests on Thursday.
Police remained heavily deployed around the central business district patrolling the streets.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority said on Wednesday that it had forwarded four out of 10 cases of police brutality to the director of public prosecutions with recommendations.
The watchdog had recorded witness statements and directed that various police officers appear before it to give their testimony.
Kenyan police officers have in the past been accused of brutality and a contingent of 400 officers is currently in the Caribbean nation of Haiti leading a UN-backed police mission to combat gang violence.
