12 Killed, 300 Injured in Gen Z Anniversary Protests Across Kenya » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya June 25 – At least twelve people were killed and more than 300 others wounded on Wednesday as Gen Z-led protests marking the first anniversary of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations spiralled into nationwide violence.

Fatalities were reported in Nairobi’s Ngara and Embakasi, Molo, Matuu, Ol Kalou, Ongata Rongai, Juja, and Kikuyu, where police reportedly opened fire on protesters. In Nairobi, two people were shot dead—one in Ngara and another in Embakasi—during evening confrontations as protesters blocked roads and clashed with police.

In Ongata Rongai, Juja and Kikuyu, similar incidents of police shootings were reported. In another confirmed case, the Kenya Power Company announced that a security guard shot outside its Stima Plaza headquarters at 4:30 p.m. succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in hospital.

One of the most disturbing incidents occurred in Molo, where a Form Three student from Njenga Karume Secondary School was shot dead during confrontations with police. Four other people sustained injuries, two of them critically.

At Kenyatta National Hospital, medical staff reported receiving more than ten casualties with gunshot wounds by Wednesday afternoon. Health officials warned that the death toll could rise as clashes continued deep into the night.

The demonstrations were organised to commemorate the June 25, 2024 protests, where over 60 people—mostly in Nairobi—were killed by police during anti-Finance Bill demonstrations. This year’s protests saw demonstrators once again demanding justice, police accountability, and deeper reforms in governance.

Protesters lit bonfires, blocked roads, and engaged in running battles with police in Nairobi, Nakuru, Nyeri, Kisii, Eldoret, Mombasa, and other towns. In Nairobi, attempts to march to Parliament and State House—both surrounded with razor wire and ringed by heavy police presence—were forcefully repelled. Crowds chanting “Ruto Must Go” and “We Want Justice” filled the streets.

Amid the unfolding unrest, the Kenyan government ordered a shutdown of major television stations for defying a directive by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to halt live coverage of the protests. NTV, Citizen TV, and K24 reported that their free-to-air signals were abruptly cut off after CA officials allegedly stormed their broadcast transmission sites in Limuru.

The shutdown triggered outrage from media watchdogs and legal experts. Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga called the directive unconstitutional and an assault on press freedom. The Kenya Editors’ Guild condemned the move, accusing the CA of misapplying the law and undermining public access to information, in violation of Articles 33 and 34 of the Constitution.

Later in the day, the High Court issued an order suspending the directive by CA, following a petition challenging the legality of the move.

Despite the casualties, media blackout, and intensified police presence, protesters vowed to continue their push for accountability. Many cited frustrations over economic hardship, unfulfilled promises, and the growing suppression of civic space under President William Ruto’s administration.

While President Ruto urged protesters to remain peaceful and avoid destruction of property, human rights groups criticised the continued use of lethal force by police, calling it a breach of both Kenyan law and international human rights standards.

By nightfall, tensions remained high in Nairobi and across several towns, with crowds still in the streets, demanding justice for the dead and sweeping changes to Kenya’s political and economic systems.