Tensions flared in Nairobi’s Central Business District on Thursday, June 12, 2025, as protesters clashed with police in a chaotic afternoon marked by running battles and property destruction.
Vehicles were set ablaze along Aga Khan Walk as demonstrators pressed forward in defiance of heavy police deployment.
Protesters push through
The unrest began when a large group of demonstrators emerged from the Ambassador area, marching toward the government precinct near Harambee Avenue.
The group, chanting slogans and waving placards, encountered riot police who attempted to disperse them using tear gas.
Undeterred, protesters hurled stones and lobbed back tear gas canisters, intensifying confrontations along key streets in the CBD.
Chaos and destruction
The standoff quickly escalated. Along Aga Khan Walk, vehicles were torched, sending plumes of black smoke into the air as police scrambled to regain control.
Several other vehicles were vandalized in the chaos, while trash bins were overturned and public property damaged.
The protesters, many wearing masks and covering their faces, pushed through barricades set up by police, eventually gaining partial access to sections of Harambee Avenue despite repeated attempts to stop them.
Security containment struggles
By mid-afternoon, the situation remained volatile. Security forces deployed reinforcements, firing multiple rounds of tear gas to scatter crowds regrouping along strategic junctions.
The CBD, typically busy during budget day, came to a standstill, with businesses forced to close and pedestrians fleeing the unrest.
The demonstrators were part of growing public outrage following the death of Albert Omondi Ojwang, a teacher and blogger who died in police custody.
Chants of “No justice, no budget” and “Lagat must go”, a call for the resignation of Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat, could be heard echoing through the streets.
As of 3:00 p.m., police had not issued an official statement on the destruction, though security remained tight in and around Parliament.
Protesters vowed to continue pressing for justice and accountability, even as the 2025 national budget presentation continued inside the National Assembly.
