This archive report was first published on 16 July 2021.
On a fateful day in July 1990, pro-democracy elements gathered at Kamukunji grounds in Nairobi to challenge the Kanu dictatorship. The event, now known as Saba Saba Day, marked a significant milestone in Kenya's democratic journey. Thirty years later, a group of medical students took to the streets, protesting against fee increments at the University of Nairobi, echoing the same grievances that had been voiced by their predecessors.
As the medical students marched, they wore white coats and carried stethoscopes, a stark contrast to the usual protesters. However, their peaceful intentions were short-lived, as police unleashed tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. The students' white coats, meant to signify their profession, were mistaken for sinister tools, and their stethoscopes were seen as potential threats.
The police's heavy-handed response was a far cry from the wisdom dispensed by the Saba Saba Day veterans, who had appeared on TV to recall their experiences. The veterans, now grizzled old men, had hid in trenches to escape a police cordon, and their sacrifice had not achieved much, as the conditions that they were protesting still obtain today.
As the medical students' protest was met with police brutality, it was a stark reminder of the country's ongoing struggles. The cost of living is unbearable for most Kenyans, corruption has become a way of life, and the International Monetary Fund is back. The question remains: what can be done to address these grievances and bring about meaningful change?
