Litmus test for Ruto as fresh demos hit Nairobi
A protester was reportedly shot dead in the CBD.
4d agoEMMANUEL WANJALANews
Protesters fight back after a teargas canister was fired theiw way during the anti-DIG Eliud Lgata protest in Nairobi CBD on June 17, 2025./DOUGLAS OKIDDY
The government is grappling with rising tensions and a wave of violent protests that have emerged as one of the biggest threats to its ambitious economic agenda.
This was revealed at the Third Cabinet Retreat and Mid‑Term Review held this week at the KCB Leadership Center in Karen, Nairobi.
A fresh wave of unrest, which descended upon Nairobi’s Central Business District on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 sparked by public outrage over the death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang’ at the hands of police.
The city, usually a hive of commerce and movement, grounded to a halt as shops lay shuttered behind hastily drawn metal grills.
Anxious business owners stood vigil, armed with sticks and steely eyes, warding off potential looters.
The usual chaos of honking matatus gave way to a haunting silence, broken only by the chants of protesters and the sharp crack of teargas canisters exploding in the distance.
In response to paralysed public transport, many pedestrians opted to walk long distances to their destinations—only to be ambushed by goons who took advantage of the unrest to mug commuters in broad daylight.
Police presence was concentrated along the city’s main avenues—Moi Avenue, Kenyatta Street, City Hall Way and Parliament Road—where anti-riot officers fired teargas to disperse protesters in scenes reminiscent of the June 2024 anti-finance bill demonstrations.
The confrontations quickly degenerated into running battles, with protesters hurling stones and chanting slogans condemning police brutality and demanding justice for Ojwang’.
The situation was markedly worse in the backstreets—Luthuli Avenue, River Road, Kirinyaga Road and Latema Road were overrun by a gang of criminals.
President William Ruto brought together cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries, and senior government officials in Karen to review progress and assess setbacks in the implementation of the Bottom‑Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
While acknowledging significant milestones, the President and his team identified a growing challenge that is threatening Kenya’s economic transformation: the weaponisation of legitimate concerns into disruptive and often violent agitation.
“The Retreat concurred with His Excellency the President that while considerable progress was evident in key areas, certain shortfalls must be addressed for the government to wholly fulfill its binding social contract with the people of Kenya,” the official communique stated.
Top on the list of setbacks were rising tensions and unrest across the country, fueled by disinformation, delays in service delivery, and grievances that have too often been hijacked for violence.
The government warned that such agitation threatens to deepen divisions, disrupt economic activity, and hamper the delivery of critical services.
Other constraints cited by the retreat included geopolitical tensions, conflicts, and climate-induced shocks, financial constraints caused by budget shortfalls and delays in counterpart funding from development partners.
Weak monitoring and evaluation systems, a silo mentality that undermines collaboration within government departments.
Legal and bureaucratic bottlenecks that hamper service delivery, indiscipline in project and programme execution, technological disruption, and cybersecurity threats.
The rising influence of disinformation and “battles of narratives” online.
The retreat concluded that these systemic constraints have weakened service delivery and exposed vulnerabilities within Kenya’s economic and social landscape.
In response, President Ruto announced urgent measures to build resilience and restore trust. These include strengthening collaborative governance across ministries and departments, digitising public services for greater efficiency, and expediting critical reforms such as the overhaul of the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
With tensions rising and the threat of violent protest looming, the government aims to recalibrate its approach, unite stakeholders, and stay the course in delivering the promise of the Bottom‑Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
