As tear gas filled the air in Nairobi and protests flared across the country, President William Ruto was 600 kilometres away, attending a funeral in Kilifi.

The president, accompanied by opposition leader Raila Odinga, had travelled to the coastal town to mourn with Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro, whose father, Mzee Gideon Baya Mung’aro Senior, was laid to rest on Wednesday.

Back in the capital, crowds poured into the streets from as early as 9 a.m. Demonstrators—many waving Kenyan flags, chanting slogans and carrying flowers—had gathered to mark one year since deadly protests against the 2024 Finance Bill. In that unrest, dozens of young Kenyans were killed, many at the hands of police.

By mid-morning, videos began circulating online showing Ruto and Odinga seated side-by-side in Dabaso, even as chaos unfolded in Nairobi and other major towns including Mombasa, Kisii, Nyeri, and Nakuru.

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A Country on Edge

Some viewed Ruto’s absence from the capital as a misstep on a day that had been anticipated for weeks. Others saw his appearance alongside Odinga—a longtime political rival—as a calculated message of national unity.

“The optics are complicated,” said one political analyst who asked not to be named. “He’s showing empathy at a personal level, but at the same time, it might seem tone-deaf given the tension in Nairobi.”

The president had addressed the nation on Tuesday, urging Kenyans not to provoke law enforcement and praising the police for what he called “protecting the country.” His words came amid rising criticism over the heavy-handedness of security forces during recent protests.

A digital flyer circulated days earlier had announced a symbolic “March to State House” and the “birth of a new republic,” prompting the government to ramp up security across the capital.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen reportedly convened a 5 a.m. briefing with senior police officials on the morning of the protest.

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Tight Security in the Capital

Police moved swiftly on Wednesday morning, sealing off key entry routes into Nairobi’s Central Business District. Roadblocks were set up on Jogoo Road near City Stadium, along Limuru Road by the Israeli Embassy, and at multiple points on Mombasa Road, including near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Other key arteries—Ngong Road and Kiambu Road among them—also saw impromptu checkpoints.

Uniformed officers and plainclothes police stood guard behind metal barricades and coils of razor wire outside buildings like Parliament and the Supreme Court. Protesters, most of them young and dressed in black, chanted “We are not criminals!” as they attempted to march peacefully into the city centre.

Despite their intentions, the atmosphere quickly shifted in parts of the CBD. Tear gas was fired on Tom Mboya Street. Scuffles broke out near the National Archives. Some demonstrators were seen helping the injured out of clouds of white smoke.

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A Growing Movement

The June 25 demonstrations mark the culmination of a movement largely driven by Gen Z Kenyans, frustrated by corruption, police abuse, and a worsening economy. Many feel disillusioned by political elites and excluded from decision-making.

Their rallying cry has been consistent: justice for the dead, accountability for the government, and a future they can believe in.

But the government has remained wary, citing the risk of “goons” infiltrating peaceful protests—a concern sharpened by last week’s demonstrations following the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody.

That suspicion has fuelled a tough security stance. Yet on Wednesday, it failed to prevent mass gatherings in towns across the country.

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The Distance Between Kilifi and Nairobi

As the nation’s youth marched through tear gas and barricades, the images of Ruto and Odinga exchanging condolences on the coast painted a parallel story—one of tradition, duty, and political symbolism.

Whether that symbolism translates into action remains to be seen.

But on a day when the streets spoke loudly, the president's silence in Nairobi did not go unnoticed.