NAIROBI, Kenya — Parliament Buildings in Nairobi have been ring-fenced with wire mesh and razor wire as security agencies intensify measures ahead of demonstrations marking the anniversary of the June 25 anti-government protests.
Heavy deployments of regular police officers, General Service Unit (GSU) personnel, and plainclothes detectives were observed around the parliamentary precinct on Thursday morning, with access roads including Parliament Road, Harambee Avenue, and City Hall Way blocked to pedestrians and unauthorized vehicles.
The heightened security presence extends beyond Parliament, with officers also deployed along State House Road and at key entry points into Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
Roadblocks have been mounted on major routes, including Thika Road at Roysambu, Mombasa Road near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Waiyaki Way and Magadi Road in Rongai. Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) have also been restricted from accessing parts of the city centre, resulting in traffic disruptions and forcing some commuters to walk to their destinations.
The security operation comes as Kenyans commemorate the anniversary of the June 25, 2024 protests, during which demonstrators breached Parliament Buildings following the passage of the Finance Bill, 2024.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has maintained that peaceful demonstrations remain protected under the Constitution but warned that authorities would act against individuals seeking to infiltrate the protests and engage in criminal activities.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has also been deployed to monitor the demonstrations and identify suspects linked to any unlawful acts.
Organisers of the memorial marches say the events are intended to honour those who lost their lives during the 2024 and 2025 demonstrations while calling for accountability over reported cases of enforced disappearances and missing persons.
Meanwhile, several foreign missions, including those of the United States, the United Kingdom and Spain, have issued security advisories urging their citizens to avoid Nairobi’s CBD due to the anticipated demonstrations and possible traffic disruptions.