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A tense morning unfolded in Nairobi on June 25, 2025, as police lobbed tear gas at Gen Z protesters gathered outside the Central Police Station. The demonstrators had assembled peacefully to commemorate the anniversary of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests and to demand justice for Albert Ojwang, a young man who died in police custody earlier this month. The incident marked the day’s first use of force, disrupting what had initially been a calm and symbolic gathering.
Protesters carrying placards and chanting slogans approached the station before police fired tear gas, scattering the crowd. Their demands centered around Ojwang’s mysterious death on June 7, hours after his arrest by DCI officers at his home in Homa Bay. The protest had been widely advertised as peaceful, in line with Gen Z’s commitment to non-violent civic action, and until the teargas incident, there had been no reports of violence or destruction.
Security remained tight across Nairobi, with police blocking roads to key installations like State House and Parliament. Officers used razor wire and conducted checks on motorists and pedestrians in a bid to deter access. Meanwhile, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen reaffirmed the government’s focus on peace and national unity, calling on Kenyans to avoid chaos. However, the early deployment of force raised fresh concerns about how authorities are handling protests in a country still grappling with demands for accountability and reform.