Police sealed off Nairobi, lobbed teargas and arrested protesters on Thursday as Kenyans marked the second anniversary of the June 25, 2024, Gen Z demonstrations that left more than 120 people dead.
Officers barricaded Waiyaki Way at Kangemi bridge, turning back vehicles headed to the central business district, while roadblocks along Lang'ata Road, Mombasa Road, Athi River and Mlolongo blocked matatus from accessing the city. Mombasa Road remained unusually clear as security forces moved to restrict movement ahead of the planned memorial marches.
At Githurai roundabout, plainclothes police riding motorcycles engaged protesters as officers extinguished a bonfire lit by demonstrators. Police also blocked Thika Road, halting vehicles from entering the CBD as tensions flared along the route. Officers later fired teargas to disperse demonstrators who had been marching toward the city centre.
Scuffles broke out outside Parliament Buildings after police dispersed a crowd that had gathered for a wreath-laying ceremony honouring victims of the 2024 protests. Several protesters were arrested at the scene.
In Kitengela, Kajiado County, police arrested more than 30 people as officers moved to forestall demonstrations in the densely populated town, which has been a flashpoint in previous protest cycles. Calm returned after the operation, with police maintaining a visible presence across the town.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Masengeli noted the roadblocks were intended to screen for criminals and individuals carrying dangerous weapons, and were not a blanket ban on movement into the city.
Anti-riot police and General Service Unit officers were deployed at Parliament Building, which were barricaded with barbed wire as authorities maintained a heavy security presence throughout the capital.
Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud had on Wednesday declared any protest planned in Nairobi illegal, citing the failure by organisers to formally notify police.
The demonstrations mark two years since Gen Z-led protests, initially triggered by a Finance Bill, escalated into nationwide unrest over the cost of living, unemployment and corruption. In the violence that followed, people were killed, and others went missing, according to rights groups and official tallies. Human Rights Watch documented that at least 41 people linked to Kenya's protests remain missing, 26 from 2024 and 15 from 2025.
Last week, President William Ruto announced a fund of Sh1.94 billion to compensate 1,100 people affected by violent protests between 2017 and 2025, with families of those killed set to receive Sh3 million each. He described the payments as an acknowledgement that harm occurred but stopped short of issuing an apology.
Families of victims rejected the gesture.
"He's covering up the wrongs that he did. He just wants us to shut up because of the cash he's giving us, the peanuts," observed Gillian Munyao, whose son Rex Masai, 29, was among the first killed in the June 2024 protests.
"Even if you gave me 20 million, it won't be enough compensation for the life of my son. What we want is accountability. Those responsible should be brought before a court. That is the only justice we wanted," added James Otieno.