What began as a routine marathon through the streets of Nairobi—meant to showcase the city's beauty, promote fitness, and offer athletes a shot at prizes—took an unexpected turn when a section of participants broke into chants targeting President William Ruto.
The runners, instead of just focusing on the race, began chanting "Wantam" and other anti-government slogans.
The spontaneous protest came as hundreds gathered for what was expected to be a peaceful, apolitical event.
Videos shared online and obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed some runners raising their hands in the air while chanting, momentarily shifting the tone of the marathon from athletic celebration to political expression.
The developments come just a day ahead of the planned Saba Saba protests slated for Monday, which have already raised concerns about the country's political climate.
The chants appeared to mirror growing public discontent and served as a preview of the tensions expected on Monday.
The participants, donned in pink jerseys, chanted the 'wantam' slogans as police officers who had turned up watched in surprise amid the gruelling cold conditions in the city.
Kenyans on social media quickly responded by resharing the now-viral videos as more users urged the government to brace for a showdown on Monday.
Meanwhile, Benson Murkomen Tunyo and Emily Chepkemoi stormed to victory in the fourth edition of the Nairobi City Marathon.
Murkomen braved 2:08:37, missing just the course record by 59 seconds, while Chekemoi timed an impressive 2:25:52 to take home Ksh3.5 million in Africa's most prestigious marathon.
It was the second attempt by Murkomen after emerging eighth in the 2023 edition.
Justus Limo finished second after clocking 2:08:47, while Kangogo Albert timed 2:09:06 to round up the podium finish in third place.
