KENYA: Nationwide Protests Erupt To Honour 2024 Victims as Parliament Blocked And Media Banned 

   By Lisbeth Micheni, Kenya 

Kenyans in various parts of the country have poured into the streets to honour the memory of those who lost their lives during last year’s anti-Finance Bill protests.

The nationwide demonstrations are taking place exactly one year after the deadly June 25, 2024 protests that saw many protesters killed and Parliament stormed in one of Kenya’s most dramatic civil uprisings in recent history.

This year’s protests have gained momentum across several counties, including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kakamega, Narok, Busia, Makueni, Nyeri, Laikipia, Nyandarua, Machakos, Homa Bay, and Kirinyaga. In these areas, citizens have been marching peacefully and chanting slogans demanding justice for the victims of the 2024 violence, as well as broader reforms in governance, taxation, and police accountability.

In Nairobi, early morning scenes showed the Parliament and nearby State House offices barricaded with razor wire and metallic wire mesh in anticipation of possible unrest. Roads leading to the Central Business District were closed, and a heavy police presence was deployed to disperse crowds and prevent protesters from accessing government buildings. Water cannons and tear gas have already been used in attempts to break up the demonstrators, with reports indicating that at least 10 people have been injured. Several injured protesters have been admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital.

Amid the growing unrest, the Communications Authority of Kenya have issued a statement instructing all media houses and broadcast signal distributors to halt any live coverage of the protests.

The order has drawn backlash from journalists and civil society groups who see it as an attempt to enforce a news blackout and suppress public awareness. The Standard Group, one of Kenya’s major media companies, has stated that it intends to challenge the directive in court.

These protests mark a solemn remembrance of the events of June 25, 2024, when demonstrators, largely driven by youth and Gen Z activists, opposed harsh tax hikes in the now-defeated Finance Bill. The unrest that day resulted in over 60 confirmed deaths, with several others reported missing and others injured during confrontations with security forces.

Parliament was breached, sections were vandalised and set ablaze, and national attention turned toward the demands of young people resisting oppressive economic policies.

Today’s protests, though marked by remembrance, have also become a fresh flashpoint in the ongoing tension between citizens and the state. The government’s heavy-handed security response, combined with attempts to stifle media coverage, has only further fueled calls for accountability and reform.

As the day unfolds, the country watches closely to see how far the demonstrations will go and how the state will respond in the face of a determined citizen movement pushing back against injustice and repression.