Angry Kirinyaga youths condemn police brutality

Police fired teargas canisters at hundreds of youths who had turned up for the protests.

by ALICE WAITHERA

Realtime25 June 2025 - 18:35

In Summary

Joseph Njoroge, a protester, said Kenyans are no longer convinced by statements from security agencies regarding extrajudicial killings and abductions.
Lilian Wanjiru, a resident of Kagio, said the situation in the country has left many Kenyans angry and frustrated.

Protesters clashed with police in Kerugoya town, Kirinyaga county, as nationwide demonstrations against police brutality intensified.

Police fired teargas canisters at hundreds of youths who had gathered for the protests, prompting the youths to respond by pelting stones.

Joseph Njoroge, a protester, said Kenyans are no longer convinced by statements from security agencies regarding extrajudicial killings and abductions.

“The authorities keep saying they are investigating, but we never see the results. Youths have a right to protest,” he said, calling on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) to step up investigations into rogue officers and help restore public trust.

Earlier in Kagio town, groups of youths took to the streets led by Woman Representative Jane Maina.

Lilian Wanjiru, a resident of Kagio, said the situation in the country has left many Kenyans angry and frustrated.

She cited the worsening economy, saying it had pushed many to the edge, and questioned why police were targeting youths who merely used protests and social media to express themselves.

Jane Njoki, another protester, expressed concern over the safety of her Gen Z son.

“My son is very outspoken. That worries me,” she said.

“He recently asked me, ‘If they abduct all of us, who will marry our daughters?’”

Njoki said she had joined the protests to stand with the youths against excessive police force.Kerugoya residents display spent cartridges collected during protests on June 25, 2025. /ALICE WAITHERA

MP Maina condemned the reported targeting of young people, citing the case of Albert Ojwang, a teacher who was arrested from his parents’ home in Homa Bay and later died in a cell at Central police station in Nairobi.

“We will continue speaking out. The youths who died on June 25, 2025, were killed needlessly,” she said.

“Ojwang’s family said the officers who arrested him assessed that they were poor, so they decided to have him killed.

“I hear another youth has been abducted. It’s becoming a trend. Those giving the orders—we hope the law will take its course and they’ll be taken to court. As youthful MPs, we will not stay silent.”