Kenya protests turn deadly with at least 16 killed, 400 injured

Sixteen protesters were killed and at least 400 injured, with 83 in serious condition, following protests across Kenya, a coalition of rights groups said in a statement.

"16 verified dead," Amnesty Kenya's executive director Irungu Houghton told Reuters, adding the figures were verified by the watchdog and the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

"Most were killed by police," Houghton said, adding that at least five of the victims had been shot dead.

A hospital source in Matuu, a town around 100 kilometres (65 miles) from Nairobi, earlier said that two people had died from gunshot wounds there.

Kenya Power said in a statement that a security guard had been shot amid the protests at its Nairobi headquarters in unclear circumstances.

"Today's protests saw significant numbers of protesters publicly demonstrate across 23 counties. We urge those still on the streets to exercise care to avoid further loss of life and injury," the rights coalition said, urging police to "exercise restraint".

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Source: TRT