By Perez Karisa, June 24, 2026
Kenyan civil society groups and Gen Z activists have maintained that the planned nationwide demonstrations on Thursday, June 25, will proceed as scheduled, insisting that the events are meant to honor victims who lost their lives during the anti-government protests witnessed in 2024 and 2025.
The activists say the demonstrations are intended to serve as a solemn commemoration of those who were killed, injured or forcibly disappeared during the protests that sparked nationwide debate over governance, taxation and accountability.
Organizers have defended the planned marches as a constitutional exercise, arguing that the right to assemble, demonstrate and picket peacefully is protected under the Constitution and cannot be arbitrarily restricted.
In a show of peaceful intent, participants have been encouraged to carry flowers and white handkerchiefs during the commemorations. Organizers have also called on demonstrators outside Nairobi to gather peacefully outside police stations within their respective counties to pay tribute to victims.
Activist networks have further issued safety guidelines urging participants to document events through social media live streams, record interactions with security officers and, where possible, use concealed body cameras to preserve evidence in the event of any excessive use of force.
However, the planned demonstrations have drawn a strong response from the government and security agencies.
The National Police Service indicated that it had not received formal notifications detailing the planned events in Nairobi, while Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen warned that although families of victims would be allowed to hold peaceful and escorted memorial processions, sensitive areas such as State House Road and sections of Uhuru Highway would remain restricted.
Murkomen cautioned that security agencies would not tolerate any attempts to use the commemorations as a cover for violence, destruction of property or disruption of economic activities.
The government has since deployed additional security personnel across the country ahead of the anniversary, warning that individuals found engaging in criminal activities would face the full force of the law.
Meanwhile, concerns over possible unrest have prompted the United States Embassy in Kenya to issue a security advisory warning American citizens and residents to avoid crowded areas within Nairobi’s Central Business District and to monitor developments closely throughout the day.
The advisory cited anticipated traffic disruptions and heightened political tensions surrounding the commemorative events.
The standoff between activist groups and the government comes amid renewed debate over police conduct, accountability and the right to peaceful protest, with June 25 increasingly taking on symbolic significance among Kenya’s youth movement.
As the country marks two years since the historic Gen Z protests, attention now shifts to how both demonstrators and security agencies will navigate one of the most politically sensitive anniversaries in recent memory.
