Hundreds of youth stormed the streets of Nairobi's central business district on Thursday, June 12, demanding the resignation of Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat.
The protests threatened to cripple major operations within the CBD, as Kenyans awaited the reading of the 2025/2026 Budget by Treasury CS John Mbadi.
Protesters marched through key areas including City Hall, Jeevanjee Gardens, and Parliament Buildings.
They also occupied critical roads such as Harambee Avenue, signalling attempts to breach the security perimeter around Parliament.
Police responded by dispersing the crowds using tear gas canisters and other crowd-control tactics.
The protestors, some donned in Kenyan flag colours, sang in unison as they demanded the resignation of the DIG over the death of influencer Albert Ojwang while in police custody.
Additionally, images and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed protestors waving placards bearing messages directed at authorities, blowing whistles, and carrying twigs.
In a bid to curb the influx of more youth into the city centre, road users along Thika Road reported heightened security checks, with officers conducting thorough inspections to limit the number of vehicles accessing the CBD.
By the time of publishing, a heavy police presence, particularly anti-riot officers in full gear, had been deployed across the city to repel the demonstrators, working alongside their regular police counterparts.
Despite the show of force, the protestors remained defiant, continuing their march across various streets within the CBD.
Meanwhile, the situation in the city centre at the time of publishing was marked by running battles and heavy use of tear gas, as police remained determined to ensure that the budget procession from the Treasury building to Parliament proceeded without disruption.
This unfolded even as the top leadership of the National Police Service (NPS), led by Inspector General Douglas Kanja and DCI boss Mohamed Amin, appeared before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security to respond to queries over the death of Ojwang.
