- Violent protests erupted across Kenya on Wednesday, June 25, as citizens turned out to mark the first anniversary of youths killed in 2024 anti-Finance Bill demos
- The day turned chaotic as looting, destruction of public property and attacks on businesses swept across several towns
- Heated debates rocked Parliament a day later, with MPs blaming politicians and urging reflection on the anger fuelling Kenya’s unrest
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TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
What began as a memorial for slain protestors quickly turned into a nationwide wave of violence.
On Wednesday, June 25, protests erupted across Kenya as citizens marked one year since the deaths of over sixty young people during the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations.
While the day was meant to honour their memory, it quickly spiralled into widespread unrest, with looting, property damage, and attacks on government institutions witnessed in several parts of the country.
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By the next day, Thursday, June 26, the events had reached the floor of Parliament. Lawmakers gathered to reflect on the shocking scenes that had unfolded barely 24 hours earlier.
However, the debate turned into a heated blame game, with many MPs accusing political rivals of fuelling the chaos for personal gain.
A number of legislators singled out former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of orchestrating the unrest by hiring goons to wreak havoc in major cities.
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen had earlier said that the destruction seen in Nairobi and other towns was not spontaneous but part of a well-coordinated scheme aimed at destabilising the government.
Gatanga MP’s mic switched off in Parliament
However, not all lawmakers joined in the finger-pointing.
Gatanga MP Edward Muriu took a more reflective tone, calling on his colleagues to look beyond political rivalry and address the root causes of public discontent.
Speaking passionately before the House, Muriu asked why Kenyans were angry enough to risk their lives in violent protests. He pointed to rampant joblessness, overtaxation and a growing sense that the government was ignoring the cries of its people.
“Mr. Speaker, as we speak about the riots and looting witnessed on June 25, there’s one thing we are not focusing on. Why is the country angry? The country is angry because the youths do not have jobs. There is overtaxation. The country is angry because the government has refused to listen to them,” he said.
Muriu’s speech was interrupted multiple times by jeers from other MPs. As tensions rose in the chamber, his microphone was eventually cut off after about 50 minutes.
Later that night, he posted on X, insisting that switching off his microphone would not silence the truth. He warned that unless Parliament addressed the economic and social issues facing ordinary Kenyans, the unrest would continue.
Who attacked Kimani Ichung’wah’s parents?
In a separate development, Kikuyu MP and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah shocked Parliament with a personal account of the violence.
He claimed that protesters targeted his property and family during the demonstrations. His business premises were allegedly broken into and vandalised, while his elderly parents, aged 105 and 85, narrowly escaped harm during the chaos.
Ichung’wah argued that the attacks were politically motivated and pointed fingers at Gachagua, accusing him of mobilising youth to target his family as a form of political revenge.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
