MATUU, Kenya — What began as a nationwide day of mourning turned violent in Matuu on Wednesday, as one man was shot dead and several others injured during a confrontation between police and protesters.
The fatal clash erupted outside the Matuu police station in Machakos County. Witnesses said the man was hit as protesters attempted to force their way into the station during a march linked to the Gen Z-led demonstrations sweeping across Kenya.
“They started throwing tear gas,” said an eyewitness who asked not to be named. “Then people ran, and suddenly someone shouted that someone had been shot.”
Amid the confusion, fellow demonstrators scrambled to carry the wounded away from the police line. Some screamed for help; others wept. “It was chaos,” said another protester.
Reinforcements Called In
The intensity of the standoff appeared to overwhelm local law enforcement. Officers from the Border Police Unit in nearby Kanyoonyo, Kitui County, were later deployed to reinforce security in Matuu.
It was one of several flashpoints on a day meant to honour the lives lost in earlier protests — many of them young people. But instead of solemn remembrance, several towns turned into battlegrounds.
In Mlolongo, demonstrators blocked parts of the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway, lighting tyres and chanting slogans. Police responded with tear gas and baton charges, sparking running battles near the Nairobi Expressway.
In Machakos town, clouds of tear gas hung over the central market as officers moved in to break up a crowd that had begun gathering mid-morning. By mid-afternoon, several streets were deserted as shops closed early and residents stayed indoors.
‘We Came in Peace’
The protests also spread across Makueni County, where sections of the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway were barricaded in Emali, Makindu, Kibwezi and Sultan Hamud. Demonstrators carried candles and posters bearing the names of those killed in earlier protests.
“Today is about remembering the Gen Zs who were killed by police. They weren’t thugs — they were citizens,” said Isaac Wambua, a demonstrator in Kibwezi.
“We came with nothing but candles and masks. We want peace. But if they teargas us, what do they expect?”
His remarks reflect the growing sense of frustration among Kenya’s younger generation — many of whom say they feel ignored, criminalised, and attacked for simply speaking out.
Some protesters held up signs reading “An injury to one youth is an injury to all”. Others chanted names of the dead — including Albert Ojwang, whose death in police custody earlier this month reignited public anger.
A Movement That Won’t Go Quietly
The Gen Z-led protests — which began as resistance to the Finance Bill and spiralled into a broader anti-government movement — have tapped into deep-rooted discontent. Issues of police violence, youth unemployment, and inequality have been thrust into the spotlight.
Despite repeated calls for calm from government officials, the scenes in Matuu and elsewhere suggest that tensions remain dangerously high.
“We honour our dead, but we’re also fighting for the living,” Wambua said. “We’re not leaving the streets until they hear us.”
As darkness fell on Wednesday evening, the streets of Matuu were quieter — but the anger had not lifted. And for many in Kenya’s younger generation, the cost of protest has already become painfully clear.