Goon town: Unholy alliance of hired thugs and police terrorises protesters
On Tuesday morning, protesters took to the streets of Nairobi to demand justice for slain Albert Ojwang and call for the resignation of Police Deputy Inspector-General Eliud Lagat. The protests were to begin at Aga Khan Walk in the Nairobi CBD.
However, before they could even begin their planned peaceful march, police began to disperse them using tear gas. Parts of Moi Avenue, Kenyatta Avenue, and Kimathi Street were clouded with choking plumes of tear gas during the standoff between protesters and anti-riot police.
For instance, outside Nation Centre, demonstrators who had just finished praying were swiftly scuttled by police.
They did not give up, later regrouping in other parts of the city centre to demand accountability over extra-judicial killings. Protesters chanted slogans and waved placards bearing messages such as 'Justice for Ojwang' and 'Stop Police Brutality'. They accused the security forces of escalating violence against civilians and perpetuating a pattern of extrajudicial killings.
“This is not just about Albert Ojwang,” said one protester.
"It's about all those who died last year, and the many more who continue to suffer in silence."
Goons pour in
However, unknown to them, scores of men with their faces covered had began pouring into the Nairobi CBD on motorbikes. The city centre was heavily manned by police, but none attempted to stop the hooded men chanting "hakuna maandamano!" (See main video above.)
From here, it would only get tougher for protesters who not only had to deal with choking fumes from tear gas lobbed by police, but also violent hooded goons who made it their priority to terrorise members of the public who were demanding justice for victims of extra-judicial killings.
Some of the unknown men who came into the Nairobi CBD in large numbers on June 17, 2025.
In one video captured along Moi Avenue around 12.25pm, the goons can be heard in the background encouraging police to beat up the protesters.
On Koinange Street, police had to rescue a suspected goon after he was roughed up by bodaboda riders working the CBD. They claimed the man was a thief. He was shielded from members of the public by a man claiming he was one of them and quickly bundled into a nearby police lorry that drove off.
A motorbike belonging to the suspected goons was also torched by the riders.
Chaos on Koinange Street in the Nairobi CBD as motorbike riders clashed with thugs carrying batons. The goons' bike was set on fire.
Looting by goons
On Moi Avenue, the goons continued to reign terror, this time turning their focus to businesses. They could be seen breaking into shops including an electronics outlet.
Pressure to probe police conduct
The events of Tuesday's protests again call into question the conduct of authorities during demos.
Activists and civil society groups have recently renewed pressure on the government to launch independent investigations into the police conduct during past and recent demonstrations.
Human rights organisations have documented several cases of what they describe as 'unlawful use of force' by security agencies.
As the anniversary of the GenZ protest approaches on June 25th, old wounds continue to ache, with fresh pain stirring the streets of Nairobi.
Additional Report by Nicholas Njoroge and Cynthia Makena