Kenya sets up security operation for protest anniversary

Kenyan authorities deployed a massive security operation in the capital Nairobi on Thursday, June 25, 2026, to prevent demonstrations marking the second anniversary of a landmark youth-led protest movement. Police erected roadblocks on all major highways into the city, barricaded government buildings, and deployed large numbers of officers in uniform and plainclothes, effectively shutting down traffic and prompting many businesses and schools to close.

The heavy security presence aimed to deter gatherings commemorating the events of June 25, 2024, when thousands of young Kenyans, known as Gen Z, stormed the parliament building in Nairobi. Those protests were initially triggered by opposition to a finance bill proposing new taxes amid widespread economic hardship. The demonstrations, which transcended traditional ethnic and political divisions, forced President William Ruto to decline to assent to the bill but resulted in a violent crackdown. According to official and rights group tallies, at least 60 people were killed by police gunfire in Nairobi that day, with later estimates placing the national death toll from the 2024 protests at over 60.