Gladness Gideon
A day meant to solemnly commemorate the victims of last year’s deadly protests in Kenya descended into chaos on Wednesday, as demonstrators clashed with heavily armed police across multiple cities, including the capital, Nairobi.
Marking exactly one year since a wave of anti-government demonstrations peaked in violence, with at least 60 people killed by security forces in 2023, thousands of protesters — mostly young — took to the streets demanding justice, reforms, and an end to police brutality.
Though activists and victims’ families had called for peaceful marches, tensions quickly escalated. Police deployed tear gas, water cannons, and barbed wire barricades around key government buildings, including parliament and the official residence of President William Ruto. Running battles broke out in Nairobi’s central business district, where demonstrators lit bonfires and hurled stones torn from sidewalks.
AFP journalists reported injuries on both sides, including at least one police officer and several protesters. In symbolic defiance, flowers were laid by demonstrators at the barricades, honouring those who died during last year’s unrest.
“Ruto must go,” chanted crowds waving Kenyan flags and placards bearing victims’ faces. “We are marching against police brutality, against oppression, against high taxation — everything that is going wrong in this country,” said a protester named Anthony, 25, who also sold flags at the march.
Parallel demonstrations were also reported in Mombasa and several counties, underscoring widespread discontent with the Ruto administration.
Fueling tensions is a fresh wave of alleged police misconduct, including the death of a teacher in custody this month and the reported disappearances of over 80 government critics since last year — many still missing. Rights groups have likened the climate to the repressive era of the 1980s and 1990s.
Adding to public outrage were recent attacks by motorcycle-riding gangs known locally as “goons,” allegedly acting in coordination with police to disrupt peaceful protests. While not visibly active on Wednesday, the memory of such assaults has intensified suspicion toward law enforcement.
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Western embassies, including those of the U.S., Germany, and the U.K., issued a joint statement condemning the use of “hired goons” to undermine the right to peaceful assembly.
President Ruto, who rode into office in 2022 on promises of economic renewal, remains defiant. In a speech on Tuesday, he pledged continued support for the police and made no apology for recent crackdowns.
Despite shelving a controversial finance bill following last year’s unrest, his government has struggled to deliver meaningful relief to a population grappling with inflation, unemployment, and rising disillusionment.
“There is nothing good to celebrate about the events that happened last year,” said legal analyst Javas Bigambo. “If we were serious about commemorating June 25th, it should be in solemnity, prayer and restraint.”
Instead, a date meant for reflection was once again marked by tear gas, fear, and fractured hope.