Nairobi Locked Down as Kenya Braces for Anti-Government Anniversary Protests

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan authorities established strategic roadblocks on Thursday to restrict access to Nairobi, anticipating demonstrations commemorating the second anniversary of violent anti-government protests that left at least 60 people dead and saw the national parliament stormed.

Families of the deceased have vowed to demonstrate against what they describe as unacceptable delays in achieving justice. The administration faces mounting criticism over a lack of transparency regarding the compensation process for those who suffered human rights violations during the unrest.

President William Ruto stated last week that while the right to protest is recognized, the government will ensure that schools remain open and businesses can operate, warning that any attempts to “shut down the country” would be countered.

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen added on Wednesday that while police would provide escorts for peaceful demonstrators, they would act decisively to prevent criminals from infiltrating protests to raid businesses.

By Thursday morning, major highways leading into Nairobi were blocked, preventing motorists from entering the city. Parliament remained heavily barricaded, and many local businesses opted to close their doors. Opposition leaders have voiced their support for the protests, demanding full transparency in the state’s compensation program.

For Edith Wanjiku, the past two years have been a period of profound grief following the death of her 19-year-old son, Ibrahim Kamau, who was killed by two gunshots to the neck.

“We’ve really suffered emotionally for the last two years,” Wanjiku told The Associated Press.

Wanjiku noted that despite submitting all necessary documentation to the Kenya Human Rights Commission, her family has received no financial support. “Only two out of ten families whose children were shot that day near Parliament have been compensated, and we are wondering what criteria the government is using,” she said.

The June 2024 unrest saw thousands of young Kenyans storm the parliament building in an effort to pressure legislators to reject a finance bill that proposed tax hikes amid a severe cost-of-living crisis. Police responded with lethal force outside the building, resulting in dozens of deaths.

President Ruto clarified last week that the government’s compensation efforts represent a “state acknowledgment that harm occurred” rather than an “admission” of guilt.

He further emphasized that the payments are not the “price of life, of pain or of loss,” and cautioned that the funds should not be viewed as a “reward for violence or criminality” in a nation where civil unrest is frequent.

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