Nairobi Food Protesters Clash with Police

A crowd of hundreds gathered to protest the rising cost of food was fired upon by police using tear gas to disperse the crowd.

In the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, police fired tear gas into a crowd of protesters who had gathered together to protest the rising cost of food. The protesters were carrying signs that demanded that the government cut the cost of basic Kenyan staples like maize flour. The police said the demonstration was illegal. Four arrests were made. In Kenya. food prices have risen sharply since the recent political crisis led to shortages. The rising cost of food is the principal reason for the increase in the rate of inflation which rose to 26.6% in April from 21.8% in March. Tom Aosa, who helped organise the demonstration said: "The government must subsidise the cost of food, it is not fair for the poor to be suffering with high food prices yet the government has not increased salaries." Rapidly rising food prices have also triggered deadly riots in Somalia, Cameroon and Senegal. The price of wheat, rice and maize has nearly doubled in the past year and many people, especially in the urban centres, are struggling to survive.