NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that his appeal urging Kenyans to stay away from the June 25 anniversary protests helped avert deaths, injuries and widespread destruction of property.
In a statement issued after the nationwide demonstrations, Gachagua paid tribute to young people who lost their lives during the June 25, 2024 protests and subsequent demonstrations in 2025, saying they had been exercising their constitutional rights.
He expressed sympathy to families who lost relatives and to business owners whose property was destroyed during previous protests.
“Today, 25th June 2026 wasn’t just another day in Kenya. We remembered what they did to our children. We shall never forget,” Gachagua said.
The former deputy president thanked Gen Z protesters, traders, parents and the wider public for heeding his earlier appeal to avoid participating in Thursday’s demonstrations, saying the decision helped prevent further loss of life.
He claimed traders who closed their businesses and communities that strengthened local security had frustrated plans to loot and destroy property.
Gachagua also thanked police officers whom he said exercised restraint during the protests and refrained from using lethal force against demonstrators.
He further alleged that some police officers and civil servants had shared information with him about alleged plans to deploy criminal gangs during the demonstrations and about the alleged withdrawal of KSh200 million to finance such operations.
He did not provide evidence to support the claims, and the government has not publicly responded to the allegations.
The former deputy president urged Kenyans to continue pursuing political change through constitutional means, calling on eligible citizens to register as voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“We shall liberate our country through the mechanism provided for by our Constitution; the ballot,” he said.
Gachagua described staying away from the protests as a “tactical retreat” rather than a surrender and urged Kenyans to remain peaceful as the country prepares for the next general election.
His statement came after nationwide security operations during the second anniversary of the Gen Z protests, with police mounting roadblocks, deploying officers in major towns and restricting access to parts of Nairobi, including the Parliament precincts.
The government has maintained that security measures were necessary to protect lives and property and prevent criminal elements from infiltrating the demonstrations.