Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen
By Editorial Team
NAIROBI, June 24, 2026 — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has assured Kenyans planning to join Thursday’s nationwide protests that police will provide security and guide demonstrators, even as the government insists the marches must remain peaceful and unarmed.
Speaking on Wednesday evening ahead of the June 25 demonstrations, Murkomen said the National Police Service had already received notifications from groups intending to hold public protests and was prepared to facilitate the exercise in line with the Constitution.
Although Thursday remains a normal working and school day, Murkomen said the government recognises the right of citizens to assemble and express themselves through peaceful demonstrations.
He added that police officers had been placed on standby to protect protesters and maintain order during the planned marches.
The demonstrations are expected in several towns and cities across the country as Kenyans, particularly Gen Z activists, mark two years since the June 25, 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests that left scores dead, many injured and others abducted in one of the country’s most defining moments of public dissent.
As the anniversary approaches, Murkomen sought to reassure the public that the state would uphold the constitutional right to protest. At the same time, however, he warned that the freedom to demonstrate must be exercised within the law.
Citing Article 37 of the Constitution, the Interior CS said every Kenyan has the right to assemble, picket, demonstrate and present petitions to public authorities, but only if they do so peacefully and without carrying weapons.
He therefore urged organisers and participants to act responsibly and avoid any form of violence, destruction or confrontation that could put lives and property at risk.
Murkomen’s remarks come amid growing anticipation over the anniversary protests, which have drawn strong interest from young Kenyans seeking to honour victims of the 2024 demonstrations while renewing calls for justice, accountability and reforms.
With emotions still raw over the deaths and injuries recorded during last year’s unrest, Thursday’s demonstrations are shaping up to be both a remembrance of a painful chapter in Kenya’s recent history and a fresh test of the state’s handling of public dissent.
