Kenyan police fired tear gas and water cannon at protesters and opposition leader Raila Odinga's convoy on Monday as he pressed ahead with an anti-government rally despite a ban.
The protesters defied a warning by the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome that the demonstrations in Nairobi and the western city of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold, were "illegal".
The opposition stalwart has called for protests every Monday and Thursday against the government of President William Ruto, who he claims stole last year's election, and is failing to address the high cost of living.
"We are tired of Ruto's government. Ruto (Kenya's President William Ruto) should look at the price of maize flour or else we will continue demonstrating." said Emily Atieno, protester.
"We want the price of cooking flour to go down. Ruto has been unable to reduce the price of maize flour. So we want Ruto to step down because he has been unable to reduce the price of maize flour. We want him to step down and go back to Sugoi (referring to Ruto's residence upcountry)" added Mario Omari, another protester in Kiswahili.
Security was tight with riot police deployed in strategic points around Nairobi after last week's demonstrations turned violent in some neighborhoods.
Tear gas and water cannon were deployed as Odinga's convoy moved through a congested slum of the capital, sending people scattering, with police also firing canisters at cars carrying journalists.
Police also clashed with stone-throwing demonstrators in the city's largest slum Kibera, where protesters set tyres ablaze while gangs attacked journalists.
And in Kisumu, where a university student was killed in the protests last week, police used tear gas to disperse the crowds.
In a separate development, the family farm of the former president Kenyatta was set ablaze by some unknown counter demonstrators, who stole animals and food stuffs from the farm. He is accused earlier by the government officials that he is a major sponsor of the Raila Odinga led demonstrations in the country.
And if care is not taken, Kenya will go down into political conflict again.
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: Police fired Tear gas as fresh Protests Erupt in Kenya despite Ban){kind=link}
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