At least 37 people were injured in violent clashes between police and residents of the Majengo informal settlement in Nairobi, as unrest erupted following a deadly confrontation.
The Kenya Red Cross reported on Wednesday, March 3, 2025, that its first responders had attended to 37 casualties, with two critically injured individuals transported to Kenyatta National Hospital and Pumwani Maternity Hospital for urgent medical care.
“Earlier today, Kenya Red Cross first responders attended to 37 casualties following protests in Majengo, Nairobi. Two critically injured individuals were evacuated by @EMS_Kenya to Kenyatta National Hospital, while one was taken to Pumwani Maternity. Our teams set up a triage post at Riatha Mosque to provide immediate medical assistance,” the Red Cross said in a statement.
Origins of the unrest
Tensions flared late Tuesday night when two plainclothes police officers pursued a 17-year-old suspected of carrying bhang in the Majengo Gorofani area.
According to eyewitness accounts, the officers faced resistance from a group of young men who intervened, pelting them with stones and attacking them with crude weapons.
In response, the officers discharged their firearms into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd.
Amid the commotion, a young man was shot and rushed to the hospital.
By early Wednesday morning, the situation escalated when the injured individual, said to be the same teenager carrying the illicit substance, was pronounced dead.
News of his passing quickly spread throughout the community, triggering renewed anger among residents.
By dawn, protestors had blocked roads in Shauri Moyo and Majengo with burning tyres and debris, voicing their outrage.
Escalation and destruction
The protests soon spiralled into violence as demonstrators torched three housing units occupied by Kamukunji Administration Police Service (APS) officers, forcing them to flee the area.
Additionally, an official police vehicle from Shauri Moyo Police Station, bearing registration number GK B 700 U, was set ablaze by the furious crowd.
The unrest took a darker turn when a second body was discovered early Wednesday morning.
The victim, found in a secluded alleyway in Shauri Moyo, had suffered a fatal knife wound, heightening fear and uncertainty in the area.
Present conditions
Although the situation has since stabilized, the atmosphere remains tense as security forces maintain a heavy presence in the area to prevent further outbreaks of violence.
Authorities have yet to release an official statement regarding the clashes, but discussions between local leaders and security officials are expected to take place in the coming days to address the grievances that fueled the unrest.
Martin Oduor
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