At least 10 killed, 28 injured as fresh protests erupts in Kenya: human rights body

NAIROBI - At least 10 people died from gunshot wounds while 29 others were injured in Kenya on Monday as security officers clashed with protesters in a fresh round of unrest across the country, a state-funded human rights body confirmed.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) also reported two cases of abduction and 37 arrests across 17 counties in the East African country.

The KNCHR said businesses in major towns remained closed due to fears of looting and destruction. It noted that looting incidents were recorded in six counties while some government offices were set ablaze by suspected criminal elements in central Kenya.

"The KNCHR has noted that the police have continued to flagrantly disregard a High Court order mandating that all officers managing demonstrations be in official uniform and remain identifiable at all times," the human rights body said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

It said significant police barricades were erected on major roads and entry points, severely disrupting the movement of people, despite a government directive issued on Sunday requiring all public employees to report to work without fail.

The KNCHR said hundreds of people were stranded as public transport, including air and rail, was severely disrupted. It added that the commission received distress calls from patients unable to access health facilities due to road closures.

The East African country experienced similar protests last month, starting on June 17 and climaxing on June 25, to mark the first anniversary of deadly demonstrations against a tax bill. At least 19 people were killed and more than 400 others injured as violent protests erupted across the country on June 25, with thousands of businesses looted and destroyed, according to the KNCHR.