All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi has been a refuge for generations of protesters escaping police crackdowns, proudly displaying the teargas canisters and spent cartridges once fired into the church.
Kenya marks Saba Saba Day on today, remembering the bloody 1990 uprising that demanded a return to multi-party democracy during the autocratic rule of then-president Daniel arap Moi.
Since then, the grey-stoned, gothic-style All Saints Cathedral -- originally built for Kenya's colonial rulers -- has often provided shelter from teargas and baton-wielding officers.
Some 3,000 people found refuge there during massive anti-tax protests a year ago, and a further 500 during demos against police brutality over the last month. "All Saints has distinguished itself as a place of refuge for people who feel harassed by governments," the church's provost Evans Omollo told AFP. "Our strategic positioning really gives us a good advantage," he added, referring to the cathedral's location next to Uhuru Park, a regular focus for civil unrest.
