Kenyan police on Wednesday fired tear gas to break up a crowd of several hundred protesting market vendors who had blockaded a government building in central Nairobi, witnesses said.
At least two dozen police in riot gear launched tear gas into the demonstrators, who had converged on Jogoo House, where Kenyan Vice-President Moody Awori and other senior government officials have offices, they said.
There were no apparent injuries, they said.
The vendors, who have been protesting for more than a month at their forced eviction from market places in the capital, dispersed as the gas was fired, the witnesses said.
The evicted vendors have been told to move to sites on the outskirts of town,
After dispersing, they gathered on adjacent streets and let out a huge cheer when Awori’s motorcade left the building and was forced to change direction to avoid the remnants of the crowd. — Sapa-AFP