President William Ruto has warned against attempts to disrupt normal activities across the country ahead of the June 25th anti-government protests anniversary.
Speaking on Friday, June 19, he said the government will safeguard both the right to protest and the rights of other Kenyans to continue with their daily lives.
"I hear some people saying they want to shut down the country; we will defend the right of everybody because we are a country that believes viciously in order," he said.
Ruto emphasized that the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to express their grievances through lawful means, including protests and petitions.
At the same time, he noted that the government has a responsibility to ensure that demonstrations do not disrupt essential activities such as education and business operations.
Read More
"We are a civilized nation. We are an organized society. We believe in the rule of law. We protect everybody's right. It is right for every citizen who has an issue to petition or to protest, and we must protect their right to do so.
"We must also protect the right of our children to go to school and learn, and our farmers to go to the farms and produce food so that we don't sleep hungry. And the business people, we must protect them to go to work, to do business so that we can raise our productivity," he added.
This comes a day after families of slain Gen Z protesters issued six demands to the government ahead of planned commemorations marking the second anniversary of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations.
In a letter dated Thursday, June 18, and addressed to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, the parents of slain protester Rex Masai notified police of a peaceful march scheduled for June 25.
The families announced plans for a peaceful procession to Parliament and similar commemorative activities across the country.
"We would like to notify you that on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 10:00 am, we have invited all Kenyans to proceed on a peaceful march as mothers, fathers, siblings, relatives, friends, to the Kenyan Parliament to demand justice, and lay flowers where our children were murdered. There will be similar vigil, and commemorations in all the 47 counties of Kenya," the letter added.
In the letter, the families outlined six demands, including calls for justice and accountability through investigations, arrests, and prosecution of police officers and commanders linked to killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and other alleged human rights violations committed during the protests.
Secondly, they want the government to issue a formal public apology for the deaths and other violations allegedly committed by state agents.
The families also want June 25 declared a national holiday and a national monument unveiled in honour of those they described as Gen Z heroes.
Their fourth demand seeks meaningful participation of victims and survivors in all reparation processes, including efforts aimed at restoring dignity and livelihoods, tracing missing persons, and implementing other forms of redress.
They further called for adequate, timely, realistic, and transparent compensation for survivors and the families of those killed or reported missing during the demonstrations.
Finally, the families demanded guarantees of non-repetition, including police reforms, retraining of officers, and strengthened oversight mechanisms such as the Independent Policing Oversight Authority to prevent future abuses.
The letter also urged police to facilitate the planned commemorations in accordance with constitutional provisions on peaceful assembly.
"We expect your officers to respect Article 37 of the Constitution of Kenya the right Assembly, demonstration, picketing and petition on June 25, 2026," the letter concluded.
