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Protesters demanding justice for slain teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang were met with violent resistance in Nairobi’s Central Business District, where an unholy alliance between police and unidentified goons disrupted peaceful demonstrations. The protests, which began Tuesday morning at Aga Khan Walk, were quickly engulfed in chaos as anti-riot police fired tear gas and hooded men on motorbikes stormed the streets, chanting “hakuna maandamano” and attacking demonstrators.
The demonstrators, many of them young Kenyans, had gathered to call for the resignation of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat and to protest a pattern of extrajudicial killings. Holding placards reading “Justice for Ojwang” and “Stop Police Brutality,” they were met with force even before the march could begin. Tear gas filled the air along Moi Avenue, Kenyatta Avenue, and Kimathi Street, scattering protesters who had just finished prayers outside Nation Centre.
But the tear gas was only the beginning. Eyewitnesses reported that dozens of masked men, some wielding clubs and knives, descended on the city center, targeting protesters and bystanders alike. Videos captured along Moi Avenue showed the goons encouraging police to beat demonstrators, while others were seen looting shops and vandalizing property.
In one incident on Koinange Street, a suspected goon was roughed up by bodaboda riders who accused him of theft. He was quickly shielded by a man claiming to be an ally and bundled into a police lorry that sped away. The presence of these violent actors, seemingly operating with impunity under the watch of law enforcement, has raised serious concerns about the state’s role in suppressing dissent.
Amnesty International’s Kenya chapter condemned the violence, highlighting reports of motorbikes carrying hooded passengers who whipped protesters and civilians. Civil society groups have renewed calls for independent investigations into police conduct during demonstrations, citing a growing trend of unlawful force and collusion with criminal elements.
The protests were sparked by the death of Ojwang, who allegedly died in police custody under suspicious circumstances. His case has become a rallying cry for a generation increasingly disillusioned with state institutions. “This is not just about Albert,” said one protester. “It’s about all the lives lost to police brutality and the silence that follows.”
As the anniversary of last year’s Gen Z protests approaches on June 25, tensions are rising. Activists warn that unless the government addresses the root causes of public anger—impunity, corruption, and lack of accountability—more unrest is inevitable.
The events in Nairobi have once again exposed the fragile relationship between citizens and the state. What began as a peaceful call for justice quickly devolved into a violent standoff, not just between protesters and police, but between a public demanding answers and a system seemingly determined to silence them.