AFRICAN STREAM ON THE GROUND AS ‘STATE’ THUGS ATTACK KENYAN PROTESTERS

As thugs on motorbikes - allegedly working for the police - attacked protesters in Nairobi on Tuesday (17 June 2025), African Stream’s William Sakawa was in the thick of it, getting reaction from those who’d turned up to demand justice. A peaceful rally had been organised in response to the death-in-police-custody of a teacher and blogger who found himself behind bars for allegedly mocking a police official online. His body, according to an autopsy, showed signs of torture. Protesters were first met with police tear gas. Then they were met by a mob of hooligans wielding sticks and whips whom the police did little to restrain. It’s widely thought they were goons in cahoots with the authorities. The mounting unrest harks back to the violent police crackdown in 2024, when huge, Gen Z-led protests against IMF-pushed tax hikes swept Kenya. It’s thought some 60 people were killed in those. Young Kenyans have had enough and aren’t afraid to stand up for their rights. In this video, filmed on the ground amid Tuesday’s unrest, we meet some of them.