Police block families of protest victims from reaching Parliament
National
By
Fred Kagonye
| Jun 25, 2026
Families of Kenyans killed during the June 2024 Gen Z protests on Thursday failed to reach Parliament after police blocked roads leading to the precincts and ordered them to end their march.
The families, accompanied by activists and leaders from the United Alternative Government, had walked from Serena Hotel intending to lay flowers at Parliament and other locations where protesters were killed during last year's demonstrations.
Police barricades, however, stopped the procession before it reached Parliament.
Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud defended the security measures and urged the group to disperse after laying flowers on the barricades.
“If they are real Kenyans let them leave now, so that Kenyans can go about their businesses, they should also consider other Kenyans,” said Mohamud.
He argued that authorities could not prioritise the rights of one group over those of the wider public.
“For those who were killed, we are sorry but those who are alive, life has to go on, it is over now, I think activists can be on their way,” added Mohamud.
Mohamud dismissed claims that police had locked down Nairobi's central business district, saying officers had mounted the operation to prevent criminal gangs from entering the city centre.
The families and activists had earlier appealed for access to Parliament, saying they intended to conduct a peaceful commemoration.
The standoff unfolded amid heightened security across Nairobi during events marking one year since the anti-government protests that culminated in the storming of Parliament on June 25, 2024.
People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua rejected claims that opposition figures had mobilised criminal gangs to infiltrate the city.
“Any goon found in the CBD belongs to the authorities,” said Karua.
She questioned warnings about possible criminal activity, citing the heavy police deployment across the capital.
“It is inconceivable that there can be any form of looting or criminality with the heavy police presence because we expect total cover and security as we are not doing anything wrong,” observed Karua.
She also took aim at the security operation.
“May I thank the police for making the day so successful, when you barricade roads, you are enforcing the public holiday,” she remarked.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga challenged security agencies to act on intelligence reports cited by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen linking some individuals to planned violence.
Maraga said police should arrest the alleged organisers if authorities possessed credible information about their activities.
The families later laid flowers on the police barricades before leaving the area under the watch of security officers.