Activist Hussein Khalid caught up in Nairobi CBD protests, forced to run for dear life

The rival group of protesters Nairobi CBD on June 17, 2025/LEAH MUKANGAI

Human rights activist Hussein Khalid has alleged that he was attacked by a rival group of protesters during demonstrations in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) on Monday.

Khalid, who was part of a group demonstrating over the death of teacher Albert Ojwang’ in police custody, said he was accosted by unidentified men near Kenyatta Avenue and roughed up before managing to escape.

“Just been accosted by goons on Kenyatta Avenue who roughed me up kiasi before I escaped and crossed the road to the other side.

“After I escaped, I managed to take a video of them walking on towards the GPO.”

The group of young men, some armed with batons and others wearing face masks, stormed the CBD around midday and engaged the protesters in running battles.

In a video, the men were seen beating up demonstrators and forcefully dispersing them.

“We don’t want this nonsense,” one of the attackers shouted at the camera as he and others descended on the protesters.

At the same time, police lobbed tear gas canisters to disperse protesters who had begun gathering earlier in the day.

The coordinated confrontation between the alleged goons and the demonstrators escalated tensions already heightened by the death of Ojwang’, who died in police custody on June 7.

This incident came shortly after a mid-morning clash between the protesters and a group of boda boda riders suspected of attempting to disrupt the demonstrations.