2 Dead, Over 10 Injured as Police Open Fire on Protesters During June 25 Anniversary Demonstrations in Kenya

At least two people have been confirmed dead and over 10 people have been hospitalised with gunshot injuries after police opened fire on protesters in Kenya during a nationwide demonstrations marking the first anniversary of last year’s deadly anti-tax protests.

Thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Nairobi and other major towns on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in what was meant to be a peaceful commemoration of the 2024 protests that left more than 60 people dead.
The protests have turned chaotic as police responded with live bullets, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse crowds.

A livestream on TikTok showed demonstrators being shot near a police station. A hospital source confirmed to Reuters that at least 10 individuals were being treated for gunshot wounds.

Local broadcaster Citizen Television also reported the same, as eyewitnesses described seeing heavily armed police pursuing protesters down alleyways and side streets near Nairobi’s central business district.

In the midst, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) ordered all television and radio stations to cease live coverage of the ongoing protests. In a memo issued on Wednesday, CA Director General David Mugonyi stated that live broadcasting of the demonstrations violated the Kenyan Constitution and the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998.

Despite the blackout on mainstream media, citizen journalists and demonstrators turned to social media platforms like TikTok and X to share live updates and images from the ground.

Protesters are demanding government accountability and an end to what they describe as economic oppression through punitive taxation and a lack of political reforms.

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