One person is dead in Nairobi after police opened fire on demonstrators rallying against a wave of reported kidnappings.

Kenyan police fired live rounds at protesters in Nairobi’s Mathare neighbourhood on Tuesday during a demonstration against reported abductions. At least one person was killed, two witnesses told newsmen.

The protest was sparked by the reported abduction of a businessman earlier this month. It comes as concerns grow over kidnappings of government critics and heavy-handed crackdowns during rallies in Kenya.

Mathare resident Adel Nduba said locals called the protest after his brother disappeared. He told newsmen his brother had not been seen since being arrested a week ago.

This is not the first time protests in Kenya have turned deadly. Two years ago, at least 60 people were killed when security forces launched a crackdown, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. That happened after protesters stormed parliament grounds during demonstrations against proposed tax hikes.

President William Ruto has admitted there have been “instances of excessive and extrajudicial actions by members of the security services”.

Earlier this month, he announced that 2 billion Kenyan shillings, about $15.5 million, had been set aside to compensate victims of protest related abuses.

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