Nairobi Street Demonstrations: Chaos or Political Progress?

One headline in Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper for tomorrow (recently posted to their website) reads "Chaos as Varsity Students Stage Street Protests." My experience in Nairobi today was very different.

Last week, two prominent political activists were shot dead while waiting at a stoplight near the University of Nairobi. Several students pushed the car into the school's compound to keep the police from taking the bodies, and a student was shot and killed in the resulting skirmish.

In response, a group of students organized a demonstration for today to protest the violent act and demand the resignation of Kenya's police chief, Major General Mohammed Hussein Ali. Prime Minister Raila Odinga publicly recognized the protest and called for the police force not to intervene, saying that the proper authorities had been notified and that intervention would be a disruption of the political process.

Today, the large group of students walked through the central section of Nairobi and protested in several locations, including on the street in front of the president's offices and outside media headquarters. Indeed, they carried this out with no hassle from the police or the government.

However, as I rode past the business district in a matatu a few hours later, some outsiders had joined the demonstration and were looting local restaurants and businesses. This continued as I walked through town to meet George Ndiritu, the director of Haba na Haba. Several roads were closed for some time and there was fear of escalation, but the police got everything under control quickly and without violence or injury.

After talking with many Kenyans, including George, I believe today's events represent a positive step for tolerance in Kenyan politics. The fact that the government and police did not intervene until absolutely necessary is substantial in a country devastated by election violence that killed thousands of people just over a year ago. According to a staff member at my former study abroad program, this kind of peaceful protest was simply unimaginable until today. While there were certainly chaotic elements to the demonstration, I think the Daily Nation's headline is simply pandering to society's general sensationalism, and ultimately missed the bigger picture.

Ironically, I spent most of the day with Haba na Haba in Mathare, the "most dangerous" part of Nairobi, watching them perform an original play called Co-Existence that criticizes corruption, examines election violence, and calls for a more tolerant political culture in Kenya. Their work was beautiful and I couldn't help thinking that the events of today provide the perfect jumping-off point for an interesting and thought-provoking trip to the States on Thursday.