Kenyan police blocked a planned Saba Saba Day march in Nairobi on Tuesday, detaining protesters and sealing off the capital as President William Ruto's government intensified its crackdown on dissent amid lingering anger over police violence, economic hardship and shrinking civic freedoms.

Up to 3,000 protesters plan to march from Jeevanjee Gardens to Parliament on July 7, demanding police accountability after 2025's deadly Saba Saba left 11 dead.

Heavy police deployments and protest bans marked this year's Saba Saba Day in Kenya, but many citizens say the anniversary remains a powerful symbol of the country's unfinished…