Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has defended the heavy security deployment witnessed across Nairobi and other parts of the country during Thursday's June 25 anniversary protests, saying the measures were necessary to safeguard lives and property.
Mr Murkomen said the government had a constitutional duty to maintain law and order and prevent criminal elements from infiltrating peaceful demonstrations.
"We regret the inconvenience caused to members of the public, but our primary responsibility is to protect lives and property and ensure criminal elements do not take advantage of the demonstrations," he said.
The CS spoke after a day of demonstrations that paralysed business in Nairobi's Central Business District, with police erecting roadblocks on major roads leading into the city and deploying anti-riot officers around Parliament and other key installations.
Thousands of Kenyans took to the streets to commemorate the anniversary of the June 25, 2024 anti-government protests that culminated in the storming of Parliament and left scores dead and injured.
Mr Murkomen said the security measures were informed by intelligence reports and the need to avert a repeat of the violence and destruction witnessed during previous protests.
He said security agencies were under instructions to facilitate peaceful demonstrations while taking firm action against acts of violence, looting and vandalism.
The Interior CS also confirmed that hundreds of people had been arrested during the protests and would be processed in accordance with the law.
However, opposition leaders and human rights groups criticised the heavy police presence and road closures, arguing that the restrictions impeded the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and expression.
The demonstrations once again laid bare the deep divisions over the government's handling of dissent, with protesters insisting that the June 25 anniversary was not merely a remembrance event but a renewed call for justice, accountability and reforms.
