At least two people were shot dead and several others injured on Wednesday, June 25, as fresh protests swept across Kenya, including in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Nyahururu. The demonstrations marked the anniversary of last year’s anti-tax protests that left more than 60 people dead and hundreds wounded during violent crackdowns by security forces. Thousands of mainly young protesters defied government warnings and gathered in major cities to honor victims of police brutality and to demand urgent political and economic reforms. Human rights groups reported that police fired live rounds and tear gas to disperse crowds, with eyewitnesses confirming clashes and arrests in multiple locations.
In Nairobi, demonstrators led by activist Hussein Khaled denounced the government’s failure to hold any police officers accountable for the killings in 2023. “Sixty-four Kenyans were killed in cold blood. Not a single officer has been held to account,” said Khaled, calling for arrests, compensation for victims’ families, and genuine police reform. Protesters also voiced anger over President William Ruto’s economic policies, rising inflation, unemployment, and alleged state-led abductions of critics. “People are being abducted and killed… We are fed up,” said Derrick Mwangi, one of the protesters in the capital.
Shops and offices remained closed across city centers as security was tightened and public transportation restricted. Despite the Interior Ministry declaring June 26 a regular working day, the large turnout underscored growing discontent with the government’s performance and handling of dissent. Kenya’s civil society and opposition have pledged to sustain pressure until tangible reforms are implemented and justice is delivered for past victims.
