Gen Z protests in Kenya: Key facts (2024-2025)
Police deployed live bullets, rubber bullets, tear gas, batons, and water cannons, while prominent online voices were arrested or went missing.
A Kenya tech violence report has outlined how Gen Z-led protests in June 2024 spread rapidly from Nairobi to 44 counties following the passage of the Finance Bill.
Young people mobilised largely through TikTok and X, drawing national attention as the movement evolved into a broader demand for systemic reforms under the slogan “Ruto must go”.
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The demonstrations were met with heavy state force, resulting in at least 3,000 arbitrary arrests, 128 killings by security agencies, and 83 documented enforced disappearances.
Police deployed live bullets, rubber bullets, tear gas, batons, and water cannons, while prominent online voices were arrested or went missing.
Tensions escalated further in 2025 after the death of Albert Ojwang in police custody, triggering heightened public outrage.
Young human rights defenders also faced direct threats, as authorities continued violently cracking down on protesters’ rights, underscoring the scale of the state’s response to the youth-driven movement.
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