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NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) \u2014 Police in Kenya on Thursday have banned protests in the capital indefinitely citing a lack of leadership that would ensure peaceful protests.<\/p>\n
The ban was announced hours before a planned protest later Thursday, in which demonstrators were expected to march to the president\u2019s office calling for his resignation over poor governance.<\/p>\n
Acting police inspector general, Douglas Kanja, in a statement said the lack of leadership had \u201cmade it difficult to enforce safety protocols.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recent protests have left businesses counting losses after the lootings and burnings.<\/p>\n
Protesters were yet to be spotted Thursday but major roads leading to the president\u2019s office remained barricaded by the police.<\/p>\n
Kenya has seen a month of protests that started with calls for legislators to vote against a controversial finance bill that was proposing higher taxes amidst a cost-of-living crisis and ballooning public debt.<\/a><\/p>\n At least 50 people have died since the protests began on June 18, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.<\/p>\n President William Ruto said he would not sign the finance bill that was passed by parliament on June 25 \u2014 the day protesters stormed and burnt part of the building<\/a>, prompting legislators to flee. The president last week dismissed almost his entire Cabinet<\/a> and the attorney general, as demanded by protesters who accused ministers of incompetence, corruption and display of opulence.<\/p>\n Some businesses in Nairobi remained closed on a rainy morning in anticipation of planned protests Thursday. Police remained heavily deployed around the central business district patrolling the streets.<\/p>\n Police have been accused of brutality against protestors. On Friday, Japhet Koome, the former inspector general of police, resigned<\/a> after calls from demonstrators for him to take responsibility for the shooting of protesters.<\/p>\n The Independent Policing Oversight Authority on Wednesday said it had forwarded four out of 10 cases of police brutality to the director of public prosecutions with recommendations.<\/p>\n The watchdog had recorded witness statements and directed that various police officers appear before it to give their testimony.<\/p>\n Kenyan police officers have in the past been accused of brutality and a contingent of 400 officers is currently in the Caribbean nation of Haiti leading a UN-backed police mission to combat gang violence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n