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Barricades, bullets, media blackout signal Kenya's descent into repression

Police officers block Gen Z protesters along Thika Super highway from marching to the Nairobi CBD during the Gen Z 1st anniversary protests on June 25, 2025.  [David Gichuru, Standard]

In a show of brute force and fear-driven control, the State responded to youth-led protests with tactics that critics say mirror the behaviour of authoritarian regimes.

What began as a call for reform degenerated into chaos, exposing President William Ruto’s underbelly and his government’s penchant for excessive force and willingness to use crude and violent methods to silence dissent, raising questions about the future of democracy in Kenya.

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