Kenyan police shut down large parts of the capital in a bid to block protests marking two years since a landmark Gen Z uprising.

Thousands of Kenyans protested in June 2024 against economic hardship and corruption, eventually storming parliament to force the cancellation of new taxes.

It was a watershed moment as young Kenyans demanded accountability without regard for traditional ethnic dividing lines, and June 25 has become an annual day of protest.

But it came at a price, with at least 60 people killed according to several rights agencies, including the Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights.

Heavy police presence

Police were taking no chances on Thursday, with a slew of roadblocks shutting down traffic on key roads around Nairobi, and many schools and offices closed.

The business district was the focus of unrest in recent years but was relatively calm early Thursday, with a heavy police presence.

President William Ruto said this week that Kenyans had a right to demonstrate but warned against anyone "mobilised to destroy property or cause chaos".

Ruto's former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, now a political rival, warned young Kenyans not to protest on Thursday for fear of danger to their lives, saying: "I plead with you: stay at home."

The protests in 2024 were initially triggered by an overarching tax bill, which saw young protesters – known as “Gen Z” – mobilise against the rising cost of living, unemployment, and government corruption.

The government was later forced to retract the tax bill even as many Kenyans insist the broader challenges, including economic inequality, which triggered anger among young people, remain.