Kenya's security forces have blocked all major roads to central Nairobi before planning nationwide protests.
Most of the downtown area is empty, businesses are closed and there is a heavy security presence on the streets. Some schools recommend that students stay at home.
Hundreds of morning commuters and overnight travelers were trapped at checkpoints, some at 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the city center, allowing only a few vehicles.
Within the city, the roads leading to the main government sites – including the president’s official residence, the state parliament and the Kenyan parliament – are blocked with razors.
Police said in a statement issued Sunday night that it is their constitutional obligation to protect lives and property while maintaining public order.
Monday's protests, known as Saba Saba (Swahili on July 7), commemorate the struggle for multilateral democracy in Kenya in the 1990s.
These demonstrations were organized mainly by young people, demanding good governance, greater responsibility and justice for victims of police brutality. They are the latest in the wave of anti-government protests that began last year.
Recent demonstrations have turned violent, with reports saying “fools” accused of robbing and attacking protesters. Civil society groups accused collusion between these groups and police – Police strongly denied the charges.
An armed gang attacked the headquarters of the Nairobi Human Rights NGO on Sunday. The Kenyan Human Rights Commission has been hosting a press conference by women’s organizations ahead of a protest on Monday.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the original Saba Saba protests, a critical moment that has helped usher in a multi-party democracy in Kenya after years of one-party rule.
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