Kenyan police deployed tear gas and fired shots to disperse protesters in Nairobi on Thursday [1].
The clashes occurred as citizens gathered to mark the two-year anniversary of the 2024 Gen-Z uprising [2]. This movement originally emerged as a response to aggressive tax hikes, widespread corruption, and severe economic hardship facing the Kenyan population [2].
Dozens of protesters took to the streets of Nairobi [1]. The groups attempted to march along key routes across the city to commemorate the previous unrest [1]. Police moved to block these routes and break up the gatherings to prevent the demonstrations from escalating [2].
Witnesses said that shots were heard as security forces moved in to clear the crowds [2]. Protesters were seen running for cover as police launched tear gas canisters into the groups [1]. The operation aimed to stop the marchers from occupying the city's primary thoroughfares [1].
The 2024 uprising was characterized by youth-led protests that challenged the government's fiscal policies [2]. Two years later, the attempt to remember those events met with immediate resistance from state security forces [2].
Police officials have not issued a statement regarding the number of injuries or arrests resulting from the dispersal on June 25 [1]. The events highlight the ongoing tension between the state and the youth-led movements that first surfaced during the 2024 economic crisis [2].
“Police fired tear-gas and shots were heard as they dispersed the crowd”
The use of force to prevent a commemorative march suggests that the Kenyan government remains sensitive to the mobilization potential of the Gen-Z movement. By dispersing a relatively small group of dozens of people, authorities are signaling a zero-tolerance policy toward public gatherings that reference the 2024 anti-tax protests, indicating that the underlying economic and political grievances remain unresolved.
