At least two cars were burnt and property destroyed as protesters streamed to section of Nairobi streets demanding justice for the murder of teacher Albert Ojwang.
The day coincided with Budget reading.
The protests started with a small group converging at Jevanjee Gardens before marching through various streets headed for the police headquarters. They were however dispersed outside Jogoo House.
The protesters were pushed to Moi Avenue where running battles raged for hours.
By 2.40 pm crowds had formed in different parts of the city.
Police reacted by dispersing them using tear gas canisters.
Police brought in water cannons that they used in dispersing the defiant groups.
It was then that two cars were set on fire near Uchumi House. It is not clear what triggered the move to burn the cars.
They were at the parking lot when the fire broke out burning them down.
A police water canon rushed to the rescue of the two cars but it was too late.
A police chopper flew over the city cente checking on the situation on the ground and reporting in real time. Parliament square was cordoned as more police officers were brought in as treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi read his budget.
The groups chanted “no justice no budget” as they engaged the police in cat and mouse game.
More police officers were brought to restore calm later in the evening on Thursday.
This came as businesses were closed for the better part of the afternoon.
Independent Policing Oversight Authority announced they planned to arrest at least three police officers for prosecution.
At least 17 police officers have been grilled over the murder of Ojwang.
The officers include those from Nairobi’s Central Police Station and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
The group is part of among 18 that have been identified and summoned by the IPOA for questioning as part of ongoing probe into the murder.
Ojwang was killed while in police custody on June 7 after his arrest from his Homabay County home over claims of false publication.
The murder has caused uproar in the country amid calls for accountability from all concerned parties.
The police officers who handled him were summoned to the IPOA offices in Nairobi to state what they knew about the death.
They also include those based at Mawego police station in Homabay where he was booked first before being transported to Nairobi.
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