Kenya opposition supporters defy protest ban

Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir washes teargas off his face on Nkurumah Road in Mombasa. Police fired teargas at a crowd trying to march into the city centre. PHOTO | MOHAMED AHMED | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Hundreds of opposition supporters took to the streets of Kenya's main cities Friday in defiance of a government ban on protests as the country is gripped by uncertainty over its repeat presidential election.

In western Kisumu, a stronghold of opposition leader Raila Odinga that has been a hotspot for demonstrations, protesters blocked key roads and set piles of tyres on fire.