Nationwide Highlights from Gen Z Protest Anniversary

Nationwide protests, spearheaded by Kenyan youth and commemorating the lives lost during the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations, erupted across Kenya on Wednesday. 

The protests have escalated into clashes with law enforcement, prompting a government clampdown on media coverage. The Communications Authority of Kenya issued a directive at 1:09 pm ordering broadcasters to cease live reporting of the demonstrations, citing undisclosed reasons. This measure represents a significant escalation in the state's efforts to control the dissemination of real-time information amid growing civil unrest. The protests, initially peaceful, gained momentum throughout the morning, spreading from major urban centres to smaller towns. 

While regions such as Kisumu, Busia, and Homa Bay, traditionally considered strongholds of opposition leader Raila Odinga, remained relatively calm early in the day, the situation deteriorated rapidly in Nairobi and other areas. In Nairobi, vehicular access to the Central Business District (CBD) was restricted from 9:00 am, forcing residents to proceed on foot. By 10:25 am, Kenyatta Avenue became the epicentre of mobilisation, with police deploying tear gas to disperse swelling crowds. 

Clashes between protesters and officers intensified near Ronald Ngala Street at 10:37 am, while similar disruptions occurred in Kangemi and along Thika Road at 10:42 am and 11:12 am, respectively. The unrest deepened by mid-morning, with reports of live ammunition and tear gas being used against protesters in Kitengela at 11:27 am, where demonstrators had blockaded Namanga Road. Police on horseback were deployed outside Mama Ngina Street in Nairobi by 11:28 am, engaging in scattered confrontations with demonstrators.

Former Chief Justice David Maraga joined the Nairobi protests at 11:37 am, framing the demonstrations as "the beginning of Kenya's third liberation," with young Kenyans defending the 2010 Constitution through peaceful means. Moments after his arrival, he was reportedly teargassed. In Eldoret, President William Ruto's hometown, protesters marched from the main market through key roads by 11:35 am. By noon, Nairobi was cloaked in plumes of tear gas, with Kenyatta Avenue becoming a major flashpoint as security forces and protesters clashed openly. 

Water cannons were deployed by police at 12:56 pm, but failed to quell the unrest. A video circulating on social media showed riot police retreating under pressure from protesters at 12:48 pm, with some officers seen fleeing over fences. At 12:53 pm, frustrations boiled over when passengers inside a matatu (public transport vehicle) were teargassed, prompting one passenger to exclaim, "Kwani hawa ni wanyama aje?" 

Amidst the turmoil, displays of civic solidarity were evident. In Ol Kalou, demonstrators stood solemnly at 12:51 pm, singing the national anthem and lighting candles to honour the deceased. Protesters along Thika Superhighway were seen kicking a football at 12:08 pm, providing a brief moment of levity amidst the tension.

Government officials offered mixed reactions to the unfolding events. Moses Kuria, Senior Economic Advisor to the President, criticised law enforcement at 12:40pm for the excessive use of tear gas, stating, "Not every teargas canister that left the station must be used in the streets. Our democracy is coming of age.

The situation in Nairobi continued to deteriorate, with a female police officer collapsing and being hospitalised by 12:12 pm. Violent confrontations peaked at 12:35 pm when another officer was nearly lynched after being isolated in a crowd. Civil society representatives intervened, with rights activist Hussein Khalid providing first aid to an injured officer in Nairobi's CBD at 1:23 pm. In Mombasa, private security guards shielded a stranded officer from a crowd of protesters at 1:30 pm.

Despite these acts of compassion, hostilities persisted. In Eldoret, renewed skirmishes erupted by 1:15 pm, with reports of a group armed with clubs attacking Gen Z demonstrators. 

Tear gas was deployed, resulting in injuries and arrests. In Matuu, Machakos County, at 1:20 pm, one person was fatally shot, and several others were injured. Protesters allegedly shot by police were rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital at 1:05 pm. Mombasa experienced a shift from calm to chaos by 2:00 pm, as tensions escalated after a peaceful march, leading police to deploy tear gas. This pattern mirrored the earlier unrest in Nairobi, Eldoret, and Kitengela.

In Kisumu, where relative calm prevailed throughout the morning, an isolated incident occurred at Jamuhuru Park. Activists giving a press briefing were disrupted by unidentified youths on motorbikes, forcing them to seek refuge within the Deputy County Commissioner's compound, where police officers were present.