Three Killed, Broadcasts Cut as Gen Z Protest Anniversary Turns Violent
Nairobi – Three people were shot dead and dozens injured across Kenya on Wednesday as Gen Z-led protests marking the first anniversary of the disputed 2024 year’s anti-Finance Bill uprising which escalated into violence claiming the lives of over 60 protestors outside parliament building and leaving multiple scores injured. Police opened fire on demonstrators in Molo, Matuu, and Ol Kalou.
In Molo, a form three student from Njenga Karume Secondary School was fatally shot during a police shoot out as they engaged protesters. Witnesses said the boy was unarmed. Four others were injured in the same incident two of them critically and taken to local hospitals.
Kenyatta National Hospital confirmed it had received more than ten casualties by early afternoon, most suffering from gunshot wounds. Medical officials warned the number could rise as clashes continued.
The protests began as a memorial to the deadly June 25, 2024 demonstrations in which at least 60 people were killed. Many of the victims were young and unarmed. Protesters today carried placards bearing the names of the deceased and chanted, “Ruto Must Go” and “We Want Justice.”
In Nairobi, riot police fired tear gas and live rounds at crowds attempting to march toward Parliament and State House. Roads were blocked, bonfires lit, and barricades erected in Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisii, Nyeri, and Mombasa.
Amid the chaos, the Communications Authority of Kenya ordered a blackout on live protest coverage.NTV ,KTN and K24 confirmed their signals were switched off Wednesday after CA officials reportedly accessed their Limuru transmission sites without warning.
The media shutdown triggered immediate outrage. Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga called the CA’s move “a serious violation of the Constitution.” He added, “This is state censorship, plain and simple.”
The Kenya Editors’ Guild also condemned the order, stating it misinterprets the Constitution and undermines the public’s right to access real-time information. The Guild cited Articles 33 and 34 of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of expression and media independence.
“The public has a right to know. Blocking coverage does not stop the truth it only delays it,” the Guild said in a public statement.
Despite the clampdown and rising casualties, protest organizers said demonstrations would continue. Many participants say they are fueled not only by the memory of last year’s killings, but by deeper frustrations—economic instability, police violence, and what they see as a failure by the Ruto administration to protect civil rights.
President William Ruto urged protesters to remain peaceful and warned against damage to property or attacks on police. “Everyone must exercise their rights within the law,” he said during a public address Wednesday.
Rights organizations, however, reported excessive use of force. Footage circulating online shows officers firing live rounds at fleeing crowds and beating protesters with batons.
As night approached, tensions remained high. Protesters in Nairobi and other towns continued marching, holding photos of last year’s victims and demanding systemic change.
The anniversary protests have now turned into a flashpoint, raising urgent questions about freedom of assembly, media independence, and state accountability in Kenya.
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