Kenyan Anniversary Protests Turn Violent as Police Open Fire

Nairobi and several other Kenyan cities descended into chaos on Wednesday as citizens marked the anniversary of last year’s violent anti-government protests with fresh marches that quickly turned confrontational. The commemorative protests, intended as a solemn remembrance of the at least 60 lives lost during the 2023 demonstrations, erupted into running battles with police forces who deployed tear gas, barbed wire, and water cannons across key urban centres.

Initially peaceful, the protests spiralled into unrest as demonstrators and security forces clashed in parts of Nairobi. Groups of angry youth hurled stones and lit small fires, while police responded with force. Several protesters and at least one police officer were injured, with tension blanketing the city’s central business district.

Security was heavy and strategic: roads leading to the State House were barricaded, parliament was ringed with barbed wire, and plain-clothed officers mingled in the crowds. Protesters, mostly young men, waved Kenyan flags and placards bearing the faces of last year’s victims, chanting defiant slogans like “Ruto must go.”

“We are marching against police brutality, against high taxes, and a government that does nothing for us,” said a 25-year-old named Anthony, who also sold flags during the march.

Protests extended beyond the capital, flaring in Mombasa and several counties nationwide. The depth of frustration was echoed by participants like 31-year-old Samson Nyongesa, who lamented, “People here have degrees, but they don’t have jobs. We can’t trust this government.”

The tension follows a growing national outrage over alleged police abuses, with outrage reaching new heights after a teacher was recently killed in custody. Human rights groups and Western embassies have condemned the use of so-called “goons” plain-clothed, weapon-wielding enforcers allegedly aligned with the police to disrupt protests.

Although these vigilantes were not visibly active on Wednesday, concerns about extrajudicial tactics persist. More than 80 activists and critics have reportedly gone missing since last year’s protests, according to rights monitors, deepening fears of a slide back to authoritarianism reminiscent of Kenya’s darkest political eras.

President William Ruto, who rose to power in 2022 with promises of economic revival, has become a lightning rod for public anger. Despite shelving a controversial finance bill last year in response to nationwide unrest, resentment has only deepened over inflation, joblessness, and perceptions of impunity.

In a speech on Tuesday, Ruto stood firm: “I will stand by the police,” he said, refusing to apologise for the security crackdown.

But political analyst and lawyer Javas Bigambo warned that Kenya was at a dangerous crossroads. “There is nothing good to celebrate about the events of last year,” he said. “If we were serious about commemorating June 25, it should have been in solemnity and prayer not violence.”