DIG Lagat assures of security ahead of June 25 Gen Z anniversary protests

Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat has assured Kenyans of adequate security ahead of the planned June 25 demonstrations.

The security agencies say they remain on high alert to protect lives and property while ensuring Kenyans can exercise their constitutional rights peacefully.

Speaking in Mombasa, Lagat said the National Police Service had put in place sufficient measures to maintain law and order while safeguarding the constitutional rights of citizens during the demonstrations.

“We have no problem. Kenyans will continue with their day-to-day activities. We will provide security to all Kenyans and those who will cause trouble will be dealt with according to the law. I want to stress that peace will prevail,” Lagat said.

The DIG urged young people expected to participate in the commemorative protests not to allow themselves to be manipulated by individuals seeking to disrupt peace and stability.

“I want to urge the youth not to allow themselves to be used to destroy the peace. We have no place for goons,” he said.

Lagat added that security agencies had intensified operations against criminal groups that infiltrate demonstrations to engage in looting, vandalism and violence.

“We are on high gear to ensure we destroy goon culture very soon,” he said.

The planned protests mark two years since the June 25, 2024 demonstrations that shook the country and became one of the most significant youth-led movements in Kenya’s recent history.

What began as an online campaign opposing proposed tax increases in the Finance Bill evolved into nationwide protests that drew thousands of young people demanding accountability, transparency and economic reforms.

The demonstrations reached a climax on June 25, 2024, when protesters marched through Nairobi’s Central Business District and breached Parliament grounds as lawmakers debated the controversial Finance Bill.

The unprecedented events forced the government to withdraw the legislation following intense public pressure.

However, the protests were also marred by violent confrontations between demonstrators and security officers. Human rights organizations reported dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries during the ensuing crackdown, leaving a lasting impact on Kenya’s political landscape.

President William Ruto has emphasized the need for demonstrations to remain peaceful and lawful. Speaking during the National Productivity and Performance Conference at the Kenya School of Government, the President said constitutional freedoms must be exercised responsibly.

“We are a country that believes viciously in order, we are a civilised nation, we are an organised society, we believe in the rule of law,” Ruto said.

The President reiterated that while the government would protect the right to peaceful protest, it would not tolerate violence, destruction of property or disruption of economic activities.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen echoed the President’s sentiments, warning that security agencies would firmly deal with individuals using demonstrations as a cover for criminal activities.

“The problem with goons is not the people. It is not the young people. The problem is political leaders who deliberately recruit and use them because they have no alternative policies,” Murkomen said.

He revealed that a nationwide crackdown on criminal gangs had already begun and insisted the operation would be impartial.

“This work of fighting goons shall be indiscriminate. Goons are goons, and we will deal with them with finality,” he stated.

Murkomen nonetheless acknowledged that peaceful demonstrations are protected under the Constitution but warned that anyone engaging in violence, looting or destruction of public property would face the full force of the law.