Kenyan youth held demonstrations in Nairobi on Thursday to mark the two-year anniversary of protests against taxes, corruption, and rising living costs [1, 2].
These protests represent a continuing struggle between the Kenyan government and a generation of youth determined to force systemic economic reform. The recurring unrest highlights a deep-seated frustration with the cost of living and government transparency.
Police responded to the gatherings by firing tear gas into the crowds [5]. While some reports indicate police opened fire on advancing crowds, other sources focused on the deployment of chemical agents [5, 6].
Security forces conducted mass arrests throughout the city. Reports on the scale of these detentions vary; some sources said dozens were taken into custody, while others reported that more than 350 people were arrested [3, 4].
The current demonstrations commemorate a period of intense unrest that began in June 2024, when tens of thousands of people took to the streets [7]. Those earlier protests were marked by significant violence and loss of life. Records show that more than 60 people died during the original 2022 youth uprising [1, 2].
Protesters gathered in the capital to demand an end to proposed tax increases and to call for accountability regarding state corruption [1, 3]. The movement, largely driven by Gen Z, continues to use anniversaries of past violence to maintain pressure on the administration — a tactic designed to ensure that the deaths of previous protesters are not forgotten [1, 3].
“More than 350 people were arrested”
The persistence of these demonstrations two years after the initial uprising suggests that the underlying economic grievances—specifically tax burdens and corruption—remain unresolved. The discrepancy in arrest numbers and police tactics indicates a volatile security environment where the state continues to rely on force to manage youth-led political expression.
