President Ruto Appeals for Peace While Kenya Marks a Tragic Anniversary
The streets of Kenya are anything but quiet—especially as the nation remembers the first anniversary of the turbulent 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests. President William Ruto, at a funeral for Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro’s father on June 25, 2025, took a stand. He strongly defended every Kenyan's right to protest but drew a bold line against violence, warning against ‘hooliganism, looting, and destruction of property.’ Ruto stressed that while protest is woven into the nation’s constitution, turning that liberty into chaos defeats its real purpose and puts national unity at risk.
The message wasn’t only for those gathered at the funeral—it was broadcast countrywide as demonstrations erupted in 27 counties. The faces and energy behind the protests? Kenya’s Gen Z. With their ever-present phones, flags, and chants of ‘Ruto must go,’ these young activists are demanding more than just lower taxes. They want a government that listens, more jobs, and reforms that go deeper than empty promises. Many waved flags while they called out the names of those lost during the crackdown last year—a crackdown that left a heartbreaking mark, with 60 lives lost. This year, at least 16 have already died and more than 400 have been hurt, most from police bullets.
Security Response Sparks Global Attention—and Criticism
As the crowds swelled across Nairobi and other cities, Kenya’s security forces didn’t just show up—they cracked down. Teargas clouds became a familiar sight, and countless protesters reported internet restrictions and TV blackout orders. If you tried to watch the chaos unfold live, you would have found nothing but static for hours. A court eventually overturned the government’s live broadcast ban, but the damage to public trust lingered.
Police didn’t stick to uniforms, either. Plainclothes officers mingled with protesters, while the government reportedly recruited outside groups to disrupt and stir up trouble. These tactics were supposed to scatter the demonstrations, but they drew a strong rebuke from outside Kenya. Western embassies, some of which actually help fund the country’s security forces, went public with their alarm, pointing to the dangerous use of unmarked vehicles and the chilling effect on human rights.
Government authorities, from President Ruto down to officials like government spokesman Isaac Mwaura, didn’t budge. Mwaura was blunt, telling the public ‘there will be no demonstrations’—a message that sounded more like a warning than reassurance. Ruto assured police they had full government support, positioning the crackdown as necessary to protect regular Kenyans from vandals and looters. But in practice, the state’s aggressive response left families mourning fresh losses and protesters furious at the lack of accountability.
Today’s unrest shows how far Kenya still has to go. The Kenya protests are about much more than tax bills. For young Kenyans, especially those locked out of good jobs, these marches are how they force their government to pay attention. With wounds still raw from last year’s violence, and as tensions simmer between security forces and the people, the push for real economic and political change remains just as intense—maybe even more so.