As preparations for the June 25 Gen Z anniversary protests gather momentum across the country, security agencies in the Eastern region have issued a stern warning to criminal elements planning to exploit the demonstrations for unlawful activities.
The Eastern regional security committee said it will fully protect citizens exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly, but warned that anyone attempting to infiltrate the protests to cause chaos, loot businesses or destroy property will face the law.
Eastern regional commissioner Jacob Ouma said security agencies have heightened vigilance and put in place elaborate measures to ensure peace and order prevail during the demonstrations. He spoke in Embu town on Monday after a regional security meeting.
“The security team is fully prepared. Anybody planning to infiltrate the demonstrations and engage in criminal activities will face the full force of the law,” Ouma said.
He emphasised the government recognises and respects the constitutional right of Kenyans to demonstrate and express themselves freely, noting that security officers would be deployed to protect protesters and members of the public.
According to Ouma, law enforcement agencies have been instructed to facilitate peaceful demonstrations while ensuring public safety and preventing acts of lawlessness.
The commissioner, however, expressed concern over what he described as a growing trend in which criminal gangs take advantage of public demonstrations to engage in violence, vandalism and the destruction of property.
He said some groups have previously infiltrated protests, burned public infrastructure, disrupted transport services and attacked businesses, causing losses to innocent traders and investors.
“We cannot allow anybody to disrupt life for the people who want to continue with their business,” he said.
Ouma noted that traders, transport operators and other business owners also have constitutional rights that must be protected, adding that security agencies will ensure normal economic activities continue uninterrupted.
He revealed that security patrols will be intensified in major towns, highways and strategic installations across the region before, during and after the demonstrations to deter criminal activities and reassure residents.
The commissioner also warned individuals being mobilised or sponsored to cause unrest that security agencies are monitoring developments closely and will take appropriate action against anyone found breaking the law.
“Those involved in criminal activities must understand that there is a difference between crime and demonstrations,” he said.
The June 25 demonstrations are being organised by activists to commemorate the anti-Finance Bill protests that swept across the country in 2024.
The protests, which were largely organised through social media platforms, attracted thousands of young people demanding accountability, good governance and economic reforms.
More than 60 people were killed and others injured during confrontations with security agencies in different parts of the country.
“We will not tolerate acts of hooliganism. Citizens who wish to demonstrate peacefully in accordance with the constitution will not face any interference from us,” Ouma said.
He appealed to residents across the Eastern region to remain peaceful, cooperate with security officers and reject any attempts to incite violence, saying that maintaining security and stability remains a collective responsibility.
At the same briefing, regional security officials announced a renewed crackdown on illicit alcohol, narcotics and other drugs, which they said continue to pose a major threat to the region’s youth.
The officials questioned how illegal brews and substances continue to circulate despite the presence of security officers, local administrators and other government agencies mandated to curb the vice.
They expressed concern that bhang and other drugs are increasingly finding their way into learning institutions, exposing young people to addiction and other social problems.
“This must mark a new phase and a new chapter in the fight against drugs,” one of the security officials said.
The committee said chiefs, police officers and other administrators will be expected to work more closely in identifying and dismantling networks involved in the production, transportation and distribution of illicit alcohol and narcotics.
