Eight people d8ad and over 400 injured in what was supposed to be a peaceful protest in Kenya on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of last year’s d8adly anti-government demonstrations, quickly spiraled into chaos
The march, held across 23 counties including the capital Nairobi, was meant to commemorate the June 25, 2023 protests against tax hikes, which resulted in the deaths of at least 60 people and saw angry crowds storm parliament. But this year’s event turned violent as demonstrators clashed with police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons while sealing off government buildings with barbed wire.
Scattered groups of protesters tore up flagstones to hurl at security forces and called for President William Ruto’s resignation. “We are marching against police brutality, against oppression by the government, against high taxation—everything that is going wrong in this country,” said a 25-year-old protester named Anthony.
A coalition of rights organisations, including Amnesty International and the Kenyan Medical Association, confirmed the deaths and reported that 83 of the injured were in critical condition. Two of the fatalities occurred in Matuu, where local media reported that police had opened fire.
The unrest prompted the government to order media outlets to halt live broadcasts of the protests. NetBlocks, an international internet watchdog, reported that the social messaging app Telegram was also blocked during the demonstrations.
Despite the heavy police presence, protesters—many of them young—vowed to keep pushing for change. “The system is rotten,” said protester Florence Achala in Nairobi. “We want a complete overhaul.”
Tensions were already high following last week’s attacks on peaceful demonstrators by whip- and club-wielding men on motorbikes—referred to locally as “goons”—allegedly working with police. Western embassies, including those of the U.S., U.K., and Germany, jointly condemned the use of hired thugs to disrupt peaceful gatherings.
While the ‘goons’ were not visible during Wednesday’s clashes, the heavy-handed police response drew criticism from analysts and activists alike. Legal analyst Javas Bigambo warned that the volatile situation could be exploited by political factions to spark wider unrest.
“There is nothing good to celebrate about the events of last year,” he said. “Commemorating June 25th should have been marked by solemnity, not bloodshed.”
President Ruto, elected in 2022 on promises of rapid economic growth, has faced mounting public anger over ongoing stagnation, corruption, and high taxes. Though he scrapped the controversial tax measure after last year’s protests, frustrations remain high. Reports of enforced disappearances have only deepened fears, with over 80 government critics reported missing since last year—many still unaccounted for.
Despite earlier pledges to end extrajudicial abductions, Ruto took a defiant stance in a Tuesday speech, declaring his support for the police amid growing unrest.
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