Hundreds of men armed with whips and clubs, known locally as 'goons', attacked groups of protesters in Kenya on Tuesday. The demonstrations were sparked by the recent death of a man while in police custody. According to reports, one person was killed during Tuesday’s unrest, and a Kenyan police officer has since been arrested in connection with the shooting.
One person was killed in the Kenyan capital on Tuesday during protests, according to a witness,cited in Reuters news agency, who reported seeing the body of a man lying on the ground with a bleeding head wound. The cause of the fatal injury was not immediately clear.
Kenyan police were seen firing tear gas at protesters.
A police spokesperson later confirmed that a Kenyan police officer had been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of an unarmed civilian during the unrest.
In central Nairobi — the epicentre of last year's demonstrations — small groups of protesters gathered peacefully, calling for an end to police brutality and demanding the resignation of a senior officer they hold responsible for the death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang earlier this month.
Shortly after, a group of men on motorbikes — known locally as "goons" — arrived at the scene, armed with whips and clubs, according to AFP journalists.
Tensions have been escalating across the country as the first anniversary of last year’s so-called ‘Gen Z’ protests approaches.
The government has been keen to prevent a repeat of last year’s unrest. However, Kenyans returned to the streets this week following the death of 31-year-old Ojwang, who died in police custody on 8 June 2025.
Last week, hundreds protested in Nairobi over the blogger’s death, setting vehicles ablaze as police responded with tear gas.
Kenya protests reignited by custody death, but ‘Gen Z' movement remains divided
'Shocked'
"The goons attacked us. They overwhelmed us at first," Hanifa Adan, one of the leading voices from last year’s demonstrations, told the news agency AFP. "They cornered us and beat us with whips, and the police were just watching them do it."
Shop owners hastily shut their businesses as police officers fired tear gas into the crowds, and at least one motorbike was set alight.
"We are turning into a lawless country," said Ndungi Githuku of the civil rights group Kongamano La Mapinduzi. "We see hundreds of paid goons, with whips and crude weapons, coming to brutalise our people," he told the press.
"We are shocked to see the politicians in Kenya, led by the president, relying on goons to come with the whips," he added.
A helicopter was also seen hovering over the central business district.
"There are many people on boda bodas [motorbikes] who have infiltrated the peaceful demonstrations," said Rashid, a motorbike driver who asked not to give his full name, in comments to teh French news agency AFP.
One armed man told AFP he had been hired by the Nairobi governor's office, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"They told us that we were coming to protect the shops. I didn’t know it would turn out like this," said the man, who was carrying a club. He added that he was paid 1,000 shillings (around $8) and "just wanted the money".
Kenyan broadcaster Citizen TV reported that demonstrations also broke out in Kenya’s second-largest city, Mombasa, on Tuesday, showing protesters chanting slogans and holding placards reading "Stop killing us" and "Ruto must stop killing us."
Acknowledged police violence
Last year's protests started mid-June and peaked when thousands stormed parliament on 25 June.
Rights groups say at least 60 people were killed during the protests in June and July 2024, and dozens more were illegally detained by security forces in the aftermath.
The death of Ojwang clearly added fuel to the fire. He died earlier this month after he was arrested over social media posts accusing Kenya's deputy inspector general Eliud Kipkoech Lagat of corruption.
While police initially said he died in his cell after hitting his own head against the wall, a government pathologist said the injuries were "unlikely to be self-inflicted". And the results of the autopsy, revealed on 10 June, confirmed the injuries observed on Ojwang were inflicted "by an external force".
As a consequence, Lagat announced in an official statement on Monday that he would "step aside" as investigations begin into a death in custody that has provoked protests and widespread outrage.
"I have today opted to step aside from the office of the Deputy Inspector General - Kenya Police Service pending completion of investigations," he wrote.
"I undertake to provide any support that may be required of me during the investigations of the unfortunate incident," he added. But he did not give any indication over how long the investigation, and his leave of absence, would be.
Rights groups told RFI's correspondent in Nairobi that the move is not enough and that Lagat should quit his position.
Two police officers and a civilian have been arrested in connection with Ojwang's death so far.
President William Ruto recognised on 11 June that Ojwang had died "at the hands of the police". He also urged investigators to act swiftly and pledged that the government would "protect citizens from rogue police officers".
And last Wednesday, Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja apologised for the police having previously implied that Ojwang died by suicide.
(with newswires)
