Three Killed, Media Shutdown as Gen Z Protest Anniversary Turns Deadly » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya June 25 – At least three people were killed and dozens injured on Wednesday as Gen Z-led protests marking the first anniversary of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations turned violent across Kenya.

Fatalities were reported in Molo, Matuu and Ol Kalou, where police opened fire on protesters.

In Molo, a Form Three student from Njenga Karume Secondary School was shot dead during a confrontation between demonstrators and police, according to eyewitnesses. Four others sustained injuries—two of them critically—and were rushed to hospital.

Medical personnel at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) confirmed receiving more than ten protest-related casualties by Wednesday afternoon, many of them suffering from gunshot wounds. Health officials warn the toll could rise as unrest continues.

The protests, organised to commemorate the deadly June 25, 2024 protests in which over 60 people were killed—most in Nairobi—have intensified calls for police accountability, governance reforms, and justice for victims.

Demonstrators lit bonfires, barricaded roads, and engaged police in running battles in Nairobi, Nakuru, Nyeri, Kisii, Eldoret, and Mombasa. In the capital, protesters attempting to march to Parliament and State House—both ringfenced with razor wire and heavily guarded—were dispersed with tear gas and live rounds. Chants of “Ruto Must Go” and “We Want Justice” echoed through the streets.

Amid the nationwide demonstrations, the Kenyan government has shut down major television stations for defying a directive by the Communications Authority (CA) to halt live coverage of the protests.

NTV and Citizen TV reported that their free-to-air signals were abruptly switched off, after CA officials allegedly forced access to their transmission facilities in Limuru.

The move has drawn sharp condemnation from media stakeholders and legal experts. Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga termed the directive by CA Director General David Mugonyi unconstitutional and “a serious assault on press freedom.”

The Kenya Editors’ Guild said the directive misinterprets constitutional provisions and amounts to censorship. It warned that such actions undermine public access to information and violate Articles 33 and 34 of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of expression and media independence.

Despite mounting casualties, a media blackout, and heavy police deployment, the youth-led protest movement has vowed to press on. Many protesters say they are driven not only by last year’s killings but by a broader frustration with economic hardship, lack of accountability, and shrinking civic space under the current administration.

President William Ruto has urged demonstrators to remain peaceful and avoid destruction of property or attacks on law enforcement. However, rights groups say police continue to use excessive force in violation of both domestic and international law.

As night fell, tension remained high in multiple cities, with protesters still in the streets, demanding justice for the dead and sweeping reforms in how Kenya is governed.