Protestors take to the streets to demand justice for Ojwang'

Youths protest the killing Albert Ojwang saying he was killed on instructions of DIG Eliud Lagat at Parliament road ahead of Budget reading on Thursday 12,06,2025. They want Lagat arrested and charged with murder. [Stafford Ondego, Standard] "We are peaceful." These words still ring out like they were uttered yesterday-a haunting refrain from the anti-Finance Bill 2024 Gen Z protests that claimed many lives across the country. They were the very words chanted repeatedly by scores of youth and activists who took to the streets, demanding justice for Albert Ojwang, who died while in police custody on Sunday. The chants-ones many had hoped the country would never have to relive-echoed through various parts of Nairobi's Central Business District. Youths protest the killing Albert Ojwang saying he was killed on instructions of DIG Eliud Lagat at Parliament road ahead of Budget reading on Thursday 12,06,2025. They want Lagat arrested and charged with murder. [Stafford Ondego, Standard] Outraged youths poured onto the streets, demanding the resignation of Deputy Inspector General of the National Police Service, Eliud Lagat, who now faces intense criticism over Ojwang's death. Thursday began as a typical Budget reading day in line with the National Treasury calendar, but the events quickly took a drastic turn. Protesters took to the streets, calling for the budget to be rescinded until justice is served and those responsible held to account. "No justice, no budget!" the angry youths chanted in unison, condemning police brutality and the spate of extrajudicial killings witnessed across the country. "Resign and surrender to the police," the protesters demanded, noting that as long as Lagat is in office, he will prevent justice from taking its due course. "Our country has become a State where police terrorise us. The same police who are supposed to protect our property and to protect us. They are not police. They are criminals wearing police uniform," one protester said, adding that the brutality being perpetrated by police must end. Several people were injured during the demonstrations in Nairobi as officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protestors. It all evoked painful memories of a year ago, when young Kenyans flooded the streets to oppose a Finance Bill deemed repressive. The uprising peaked on 25 June, when many protesters were fatally shot by police. Youths protest the killing Albert Ojwang saying he was killed on instructions of DIG Eliud Lagat at Parliament road ahead of Budget reading on Thursday 12,06,2025. They want Lagat arrested and charged with murder. [Stafford Ondego, Standard] On Thursday, the protests escalated. Property was destroyed, including two vehicles-one accompanying a G4S vehicle, and another parked in the streets-both of which were set ablaze. Youths and activists demanded freedom of expression, accusing the Kenya Kwanza administration of increasingly suppressing this fundamental right. "This impunity by Ruto's government must stop. We will keep fighting for our country. We will keep fighting for our freedom," said one protester, who identified himself only as Ochoi. Another demonstrator, Felix, lamented the continued extrajudicial killings of Kenyan youth. "We are peaceful. We are simply trying to engage the state in our quest for justice. Yet we find policemen on the ground who want to finish us off." "Right now they've deployed civilian-clothed police-murder cops who want to kill us," he alleged. The protesting youth questioned why DIG Lagat remains in office amid widespread public outrage. "We demand that he steps aside to allow for independent investigations. They're trying to weaken us," said Felix, challenging the police boss to face the youth and answer their questions about Ojwang's death. They vowed not to relent until justice for Ojwang is served. Tear gas and live bullets, they said, would not kill their spirits. "If Ruto cannot come out and remove Lagat from office, the youth will do it themselves," one protester declared. Blaming the police for betraying public trust, they criticised the lack of accountability, saying it only emboldens further abuses. "The State is aware of this. They're corrupt to the core, and the entire system must be dismantled," one protester stated. "Unless they kill all of us, we're not giving up. One soul matters to all of us," said Peter, another protestor, adding that President William Ruto only responds to protests. "He will respond now that we've taken to the streets. This is the only language he understands." Youths protest the killing Albert Ojwang saying he was killed on instructions of DIG Eliud Lagat at Parliament road ahead of Budget reading on Thursday 12,06,2025. They want Lagat arrested and charged with murder. [Stafford Ondego, Standard] Meanwhile, several traders in Nairobi's city centre were forced to shut down their businesses early as protests escalated. The most affected areas included Moi Avenue, Tom Mboya Street, Kimathi Street, and parts of the downtown district. For hours, police and protesters engaged in running battles as authorities sought to keep them from accessing Parliament, where the budget reading was under way. Along City Hall Way, a group of protesters vandalised property, including a fenced-off construction site near Aga Khan Walk, carting away materials such as iron sheets. Similar scenes unfolded along Moi Avenue-particularly outside the Ambassador Hotel-where recent city beautification efforts were undone as items were looted or destroyed. "We had to close early because some protesters take advantage and loot. What happened last year is still fresh in our minds," said Dan Muigia, a hotel manager on Kimathi Street. Another trader dealing in computer accessories along Moi Avenue recalled how his shop was cleaned out by looters during the 2023 protests. "I lost about Sh1 million and have never recovered. That's why, even when protests are peaceful, I close shop immediately," he said. [Additional reporting by Fidelis Mogaka]

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