Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat has assured Kenyans of adequate security ahead of the planned June 25 demonstrations.
Lagat said citizens will be free to go about their daily activities while security agencies remain on high alert to maintain law and order.
Speaking to journalists in Mombasa, Lagat said the National Police Service was fully prepared to secure the country during the demonstrations marking the second anniversary of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
“We have no problem. Kenyans will continue with their day-to-day activities,” Lagat said. “Those who will cause chaos will be dealt with according to the law. I want to say Kenyans are free to continue with their work. We will provide security to all Kenyans and those who will cause trouble will be arrested, but I want to stress that peace will prevail.”
The Deputy Inspector General urged young people not to allow themselves to be used by individuals seeking to disrupt peace and stability during the commemorative protests.
“I want to urge the youth not to allow themselves to be used to destroy the peace. We have no place for goons,” he said.
Lagat added that security agencies had intensified efforts to eliminate criminal elements that infiltrate peaceful demonstrations and engage in looting, vandalism and violence.
“We are on high gear to ensure we destroy goon culture very soon,” he said.
The planned demonstrations coincide with the anniversary of the historic June 25, 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, which marked one of the most significant youth-led movements in Kenya's recent history.
What began as an online campaign against proposed tax increases evolved into a nationwide uprising that attracted thousands of young Kenyans demanding greater accountability and economic reforms.
On June 25 last year, protesters marched through Nairobi's Central Business District before breaching Parliament grounds as lawmakers debated the controversial Finance Bill.
The unprecedented scenes forced the government to withdraw the legislation amid mounting public pressure.
However, the demonstrations were also marked by violent confrontations between protesters and security officers. Human rights groups reported dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries during the crackdown that followed the protests.
As the country prepares to mark the anniversary, President William Ruto has also issued a warning against acts of lawlessness and destruction of property under the guise of exercising constitutional freedoms.
Speaking during the National Productivity and Performance Conference at the Kenya School of Government in Nairobi on Friday, the President said while Kenyans have a constitutional right to protest and petition the government, such freedoms must be exercised responsibly.
“We are a country that believes viciously in order, we are a civilised nation, we are an organised society, we believe in the rule of law,” Ruto said.
The President reiterated that the government would safeguard
the right to peaceful demonstrations but would not tolerate attempts to incite
violence or disrupt economic activities.
