Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, accompanied by Nyatike MP Tom Odege, Nyando MP Jared Okelo, Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch and Langata MP Phelix Odiwuor, during a press conference at Media Centre on June 24, 2026./DOUGLAS OKIDDY
A standoff is brewing ahead of planned Gen Z demonstrations today after the state warned it will not tolerate lawlessness, even as activists and opposition leaders intensify mobilisation for a nationwide shutdown.
This came even as police in Nairobi denied being informed of any planned street protests in the capital.
Nairobi regional police commander Isa Mohamud said police had not received any formal notification regarding the demonstrations.
“What we are seeing is information circulating on social media,” he said.
Mohamud warned that while citizens have a right to express themselves, police will not tolerate any criminal activity during the demonstrations.
Mohamud spoke after meeting top police commanders at the DCI Academy in Nairobi on Wednesday to discuss the planned commemoration of the event.
The government has, in the last few days, issued a stern warning against acts of lawlessness during the protests commemorating the 2024 anti-tax revolt.
The hardening positions have set the stage for a tense standoff, with human rights groups urging security agencies to exercise restraint and respect constitutional freedoms while calling on protesters to remain peaceful.
Businesses in several towns have begun taking precautionary measures amid fears of possible disruptions, even as organisers insist the demonstrations will be peaceful and aimed at honouring those who lost their lives during the historic Gen Z-led protests.
Matatu operators have, however, vowed to continue with normal operations, urging the government to provide security.
Matatu Owners Association president Albert Karakacha acknowledged concerns about possible disruptions to public transport but moved to allay the fears.
"We encourage all matatu owners, drivers, crew and staff to remain calm, exercise restraint and continue providing transport services responsibly and professionally. The public transport sector remains committed to serving Kenyans and facilitating the movement of people and goods," he said.
"Accordingly, matatu operations will continue as normal while respecting the constitutional rights of all citizens and prioritising public safety."
Government officials on Tuesday said while Kenyans have a constitutional right to assemble and picket peacefully, security agencies would not tolerate violence, destruction of property, looting or disruption of public services.
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen said security personnel had been placed on high alert ahead of the demonstrations, which have been backed by Gen Z activists, sections of the opposition and civil society groups seeking to honour victims who lost their lives during the protests.
The Interior CS, however, emphasised that the right to protest must be exercised peacefully and in a manner that respects the rights of other citizens.
"Our constitution allows every citizen to protest, to picket, to demonstrate and to present petitions under Article 37 of the Constitution. That is a right and no government official, neither myself nor any other government officer, can take that right away from the people of Kenya," he said.
"There is also a right for our children to go to school. There is also the right to life and the right to property that the same constitution provides."
Murkomen said while Kenyans are free to demonstrate, the exercise should not interfere with children's access to education, the livelihoods of traders and business owners, or the daily activities of other citizens.
"When you are exercising your right to demonstrate, it is not to say that your right is greater than the right of our children to go to school or the right of business people, including mama mbogas, to continue doing their business," he added.
The warning came amid growing mobilisation across the country, with organisers calling on Kenyans to stay away from work and join peaceful marches in major towns.
Opposition leaders have declared June 25 a day of remembrance for victims of police brutality and those killed during the 2024 anti-government protests, urging citizens to participate in what they describe as a peaceful national exercise.
“We invite all Kenyans, mothers, fathers, siblings and friends to march to Parliament to demand justice and lay flowers where our children’s lives were cruelly taken,” Siaya Governor James Orengo said.
DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua has, however, urged Kenyans to stay indoors and not take to the streets, citing "intelligence" that law enforcers are plotting to unleash terror on demonstrators.
He alleged on Tuesday that CS Murkomen, Interior PS Raymond Omollo and some President William Ruto allies had deployed goons in the Mt Kenya region.
"I have intelligence that Murkomen, Omollo, Kihika and others have organised goons to cause mayhem in Mt Kenya. Sh200 million was withdrawn today in Upper Hill from the Interior account, meant to finance goons for Thursday," he claimed.
"I would kindly appeal to the Gen Zs to keep off the streets on Thursday. We need them next year. Retreat is not surrender and it is not cowardice. There is a better way to deal with Ruto constitutionally.”
Nairobi and Nyanza ODM MPs, led by Makadara MP George Aladwa and his Alego Usonga counterpart Sam Atandi, asked Nairobi residents, ODM supporters and the Luo community to keep off the planned demonstrations.
Aladwa, who also serves as ODM Nairobi county chairman, said the demonstrations will only disrupt businesses, endanger lives and derail development.
"What Nairobi residents need today is peace, jobs, business opportunities and development, not another day of chaos, fear and destruction," he said in a statement.
Aladwa said while politicians often drive protest calls, it is ordinary citizens who bear the greatest burden whenever demonstrations paralyse the city.
"We have painful memories of what happened during previous demonstrations. Lives were lost. Families were left mourning. Businesses were looted. Property worth millions of shillings was destroyed," he said.
"ODM has made a deliberate decision to work through dialogue and engagement to address the issues affecting Kenyans."
"When protests take place in Nairobi, it is not politicians who suffer the most. It is ordinary wananchi, small traders, mama mbogas, boda boda riders and young people struggling to earn an honest living," he said.
Addressing journalists in Parliament Buildings, Nyanza MPs said the region has benefited from the current arrangement with President Ruto’s administration.
“This is not something we can get ourselves into. We want to ask our people to stay back,” Atandi said.
He was accompanied by MPs Anthony Oluoch (Mathare), Jared Okelo (Nyando), Tom Odege (Nyatike) and Phelix Odiwuor (Lang’ata).
“The government has been magnanimous enough at the moment. There has been Sh2 billion advanced to the victims,” Okelo stated.
“This may not be our war.”
The government has, however, maintained that public order must be upheld, warning that individuals seeking to infiltrate the protests to cause chaos will face the full force of the law.
Security agencies are expected to deploy heavily across major urban centres as the country marks the second anniversary of the demonstrations that shook the political establishment and forced the withdrawal of the controversial Finance Bill, 2024.
Yesterday, senior police commanders across various regions held a series of meetings to plan how to manage the anniversary of the anticipated protests marking two years since the 2024 Gen Z demonstrations over the Finance Bill.
At the General Service Unit headquarters, new Commandant Johana Tonui met commanders who are expected to be deployed to areas identified as security hotspots for operational purposes.
The identified hotspots include Nairobi and parts of Central Kenya, Machakos, Kajiado, Eldoret and Kitale.
Tonui instructed officers to maintain professionalism when handling public demonstrations.
Anti-riot teams from the GSU are set to be deployed to targeted locations ahead of Thursday’s operations. In Nairobi, some areas, including Parliament Square, may be restricted to authorised personnel.
The move is aimed at preventing access by individuals planning to lay flowers at the site during the commemorative period.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
Government officials on Tuesday said that while Kenyans have a constitutional right to assemble and picket peacefully, security agencies would not tolerate violence, destruction of property, looting or disruption of public services.
