Two Dead In Kenya Youth Protests

Nairobi: A 21-year-old man has died after being hit by a tear gas canister during protests in Kenya this week, a human rights official and the victim's relative said Saturday, in the second fatality resulting from the youth-led demonstrations.

Led largely by Gen-Z Kenyans who have livestreamed the demonstrations against tax hikes, the protests have been galvanised by widespread anger over President William Ruto's economic policies.

Thursday's demonstrations in the capital Nairobi were mostly peaceful, but officers fired tear gas and water cannon throughout the day in an attempt to disperse protesters near parliament.

According to a Kenya Human Rights Commission official, 21-year-old Evans Kiratu was "hit by a tear gas canister" during the demonstrations.

"He was rushed to hospital around 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Thursday...and died there," Ernest Cornel, a spokesman at the Kenya Human Rights Commission, told AFP.

"It is tragic that a young person can lose his life simply for agitating against the high cost of living."

The victim's aunt told national broadcaster Citizen TV that her nephew had died in hospital before she was able to see him.

"We are demanding justice for my nephew," she said.

The rallies began in Nairobi on Tuesday before spreading across the country, with protesters calling for a national strike on June 25.

Kiratu's death comes on the heels of another fatality reported on Friday, when a police watchdog said it was investigating allegations that a 29-year-old man was shot by officers in Nairobi after the demonstrations.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) said it had "documented the death... allegedly as a result of police shooting" on Thursday.

According to a police report seen by AFP, a 29-year-old man was taken to hospital in Nairobi at around 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) on Thursday "unconscious with a thigh injury" before "succumbing" to his injuries, without giving further details.

Several organisations, including Amnesty International Kenya, said that at least 200 people were injured in Nairobi after Thursday's protests, which saw thousands of people take to the streets across the country.

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