NAIROBI, Kenya — Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) transformed into a high-security zone on Wednesday morning, with major roads leading into the city center blocked by police in anticipation of planned demonstrations.
Commuters faced significant disruptions as public service vehicles (PSVs) were rerouted, forcing passengers to disembark at designated points outside the heart of the city.
Key arteries such as Parliament Road, Harambee Avenue, and Kenyatta Avenue were rendered inaccessible, fortified with razor-sharp barbed wire and robust barricades.
PSVs originating from Mombasa Road terminated their journeys at the Haile Selassie Avenue and Nyayo House roundabouts.
Similarly, vehicles from Thika Road concluded their routes around Guru Nanak Hospital and the Globe Roundabout, while those traversing Jogoo Road halted at City Stadium. Ladysmith Road, however, remained partially accessible, with officers directing traffic and managing entry points.
Security was noticeably stringent around critical government installations. Roads leading to State House were heavily barricaded and reinforced with razor wire.
While major entry points into the CBD experienced significant restrictions, traffic flow remained notably calm on Thika Road and Waiyaki Way in the early morning hours, with police officers strategically positioned, for instance, near the Kangemi footbridge.
Further roadblocks were established on Jogoo Road near Makongeni Police Station to control movement, and access to Valley Road was partially obstructed near the Department of Defence (DOD), with City Hall Way also closed to vehicular traffic.
A formidable police presence, including officers in full riot gear, was observed across key sections of Nairobi’s CBD. Officers were stationed prominently along Kenyatta Avenue, Moi Avenue, and around the National Archives, where groups of protesters began to gather by approximately 9 AM.
In a show of heightened government oversight, Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen undertook an early morning tour of the CBD.
Accompanied by Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli, CS Murkomen proceeded to Jogoo House A for a security briefing with Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja.
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Prior to this meeting, Murkomen had visited Harambee House, where he interacted with duty officers and briefly engaged with law enforcement patrolling the streets, as well as Nairobi residents making their way to work.
The intensified security measures significantly impacted commercial activity. Only a handful of shops and businesses were open along Ronald Ngala Street in the morning, while most establishments on City Hall Way, Wabera Street, Tom Mboya Street, and Moi Avenue remained shuttered, leaving very few pedestrians on the usually bustling thoroughfares.
These widespread demonstrations mark the first anniversary of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, which tragically resulted in numerous fatalities and drew international condemnation over alleged police brutality.
This year’s commemorations underscore growing demands for comprehensive police reform and justice for victims of excessive force.
