Kenyan police arrested 355 people and fired tear gas on June 25, 2026, to disperse protesters marking the second anniversary of the deadly 2024 anti-government rallies. Families of the 60 victims killed in the original crackdown marched alongside opposition leaders to demand justice and transparent reparations. While President William Ruto set aside $15.5 million to compensate victims, rights groups and families rejected the fund as non-transparent, intensifying political pressure on Ruto ahead of the 2027 elections.
Second anniversary protests
- ▪Security forces in Nairobi fired tear gas, mounted roadblocks, and barricaded the parliament building with razor wire to disperse and contain the anniversary demonstrators
- ▪Kenyan police arrested 355 people nationwide on June 25, 2026, during demonstrations marking the second anniversary of the deadly 2024 anti-government protests
- ▪Opposition leaders Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua, Eugene Wamalwa, and former Chief Justice David Maraga joined families of the deceased on their march to parliament
2024 parliament storming
- ▪At least 60 people were killed by security forces during the 2024 anti-government protests and the subsequent crackdown
- ▪In June 2024, tens of thousands of Kenyans protested against controversial tax proposals, culminating in the storming of the parliament building and the withdrawal of the finance bill
Police excessive force
- ▪A BBC investigation found that Kenyan police deliberately tried to kill protesters during the 2024 demonstrations, amid wider allegations of abductions and extrajudicial killings
- ▪Three Kenyan police officers have been formally charged in connection with the deaths of protesters
Victims' families demands
- ▪Edith Wanjiku, whose 19-year-old son Ibrahim Kamau was killed in 2024, stated that only two out of ten families whose children were shot near parliament have received compensation
- ▪Families of the deceased and protest organizers are demanding credible investigations, the arrest of responsible officers, and guarantees against the future use of excessive force
Government compensation fund
- ▪Human rights organizations and activists rejected the compensation plan, citing the exclusion of some victims, inadequate payouts, and a lack of transparency
- ▪President William Ruto announced a 2 billion Kenyan shilling ($15.5 million) fund to compensate nearly 2,000 victims of protest-related human rights abuses between 2017 and 2025
Ruto's 2027 reelection
- ▪Rigathi Gachagua, President William Ruto's former deputy and current rival, urged Gen Z activists to stay off the streets and remain at home as a symbolic show of dissent
- ▪President William Ruto is facing growing public discontent and criticism over unfulfilled campaign promises ahead of the 2027 elections, though he maintains his administration has met most pledges
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