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What's behind Kenya's cost of living protests?

Following a divisive general election in Kenya, protests over the cost of living are continuing across the country.

Anti-government protests in Kenya are continuing. Supporters of the opposition leader and defeated presidential candidate, Raila Odinga, have defied a ban on demonstrations to protest against the high cost of living, and alleged electoral fraud. The results of last year's poll have been unanimously upheld by the country's Supreme Court.

A local party office of President William Ruto was set on fire in Siaya, and in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, stone-throwing protesters clashed with the police who fired teargas to disperse them.

So what's the aim of the demonstrations? 大象传媒 Newsday heard from Dennis Onyango, a spokesperson for Raila Odinga.

"We are hoping to achieve... the government bring down the cost of living because there are interventions that can be put in place to ensure that happens. The idea that Kenyans have put [the election results] behind them is not true. It is only in Kenya where a new regime came in and started removing the subsidies and raising the taxes, we think that is a bit reckless."

(Photo: Riot police officers disperse supporters of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga during protests against high cost of living and the new government of President William Ruto in the Mathare settlement of Nairobi, Kenya. Credit: Reuters)

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