Activist Hanifa Attacked During Nairobi Protests
Activist Hanifa Adan was left in shock and pain after she was allegedly assaulted during ongoing protests in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) on Tuesday, June 17.
The demonstrations, which were meant to be peaceful, turned chaotic as unidentified men on motorbikes — described by many as goons — reportedly began attacking demonstrators in different parts of the city.
Hanifa, a well-known human rights defender and outspoken critic of both police misconduct and the Kenya Kwanza administration, became one of the victims in the chaos that erupted.
She was caught up in the violence that spread through the CBD as protesters clashed with police officers in running battles across key streets.
While speaking during a live broadcast from the protest scene, Hanifa claimed that the group of goons had infiltrated what was planned to be a peaceful protest march towards Nairobi Central Police Station.
Instead of allowing the demonstrators to express their demands, she said the men harassed and robbed innocent protesters.
Hanifa recounted her terrifying ordeal, saying she was attacked by one of the thugs who not only assaulted her but also grabbed her phone. “One of the goons beat me and took my phone.
I managed to hold onto his jacket while trying to retrieve my phone as he continued to push me around. Eventually, other protesters came to my aid, caught him, and beat him up. I was able to recover my phone,” she explained.
Despite managing to get her phone back, Hanifa strongly accused the police of standing by and doing nothing as the goons disrupted the peaceful protest.
She claimed that instead of protecting the citizens, the authorities were silently watching the attackers cause chaos.
“The police are just standing there while goons harass and rob innocent people,” she said firmly, expressing her disappointment and concern over the situation.
By midday, the normally busy Nairobi CBD had turned tense and chaotic. Shops were closed as protesters poured onto Moi Avenue, demanding justice for the late blogger Albert Ojwang. The demonstrations had initially been organized to seek accountability and justice for Ojwang’s death, but the situation quickly got out of hand.
According to Hanifa, some of the attackers were caught by protestors and punished on the spot. She shared on social media that one of the goons who had allegedly been attacking demonstrators was caught and beaten so severely that he required urgent medical help.
In the chaos, protesters set fire to a motorcycle said to belong to one of the attackers. The scene along Moi Avenue was tense, with smoke rising from the burnt bike and angry crowds chanting slogans.
The unrest continued down to Koinange Street, where another motorcycle was torched as protestors fought back against those they believed had come to silence their voices.
Meanwhile, in Mombasa County, similar protests took place as residents stood in solidarity with those demonstrating in Nairobi.
Although the Mombasa protests remained largely peaceful, police arrested four people, including a female protester. All were taken to Central Police Station in Mombasa.
Tuesday’s events paint a grim picture of how quickly peaceful demonstrations can spiral into violence when infiltrated by elements with different agendas.
Protesters like Hanifa continue to urge authorities to protect citizens instead of turning a blind eye to criminal acts carried out in the name of suppressing dissent.
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