NAIROBI – Chanting “Ruto must go,” thousands of protesters flooded Nairobi’s streets to demand the resignation of the president.

They waved Kenyan flags and carried branches as a symbol of peaceful opposition.

Police had deployed barricades and razor wire to seal off major roads, especially those leading to the State House, President Ruto’s official residence, and Parliament.

Crowds are moving in groups through Nairobi’s central business district. In moments of unexpected calm amid the charged atmosphere, protesters paused to play football on a closed-off street.

However, in several other places, the mood quickly turned confrontational.

Police resorted to water cannons and tear gas to disperse the swelling crowds.

Video footage from independent journalists showed plumes of white tear gas drifting between tall buildings, sending protesters scrambling for cover, coughing, and shielding their eyes. But they returned, chanting defiantly.

In the heart of Nairobi, protesters marched past shuttered shops and empty streets. The razor wire fencing around parliament stood as a stark reminder of last year’s violent unrest when protesters breached security and stormed the building, setting part of it alight.

Today, the fence around parliament was lined with wreaths and handwritten notes from grieving families and defiant youths.

A young woman draped in a Kenyan flag clutched a poster bearing the names of those killed a year ago by the security forces as they tried to end the protests.

-Nampa/AFP