A detailed look at how police roadblocks paralysed Nairobi, emptied the CBD, and disrupted transport nationwide as Kenyans marked two years since the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
Nairobi Locked Down: Inside the Heavy Security Operation on June 25 Anniversary
Two years after Gen Z activists stormed Parliament to oppose the 2024 Finance Bill, Nairobi woke up on Thursday, June 25, to a city under siege — not from protesters, but from its own police force. Nairobi was effectively cut off from the rest of the country as police mounted roadblocks on every major route into the city, triggering massive traffic jams and disrupting movement ahead of the anniversary demonstrations.
A City Sealed From Dawn
The operation began well before sunrise. By 6:40 a.m., police had already mounted roadblocks on Thika Road, Kiambu Road, Jogoo Road, Outering Road, the routes leading to JKIA, and several access points into the CBD, with barricades also placed along Lang'ata Road and Mombasa Road that turned back matatus attempting to reach the city.
The Mombasa Road corridor saw some of the worst congestion. A roadblock mounted at Mlolongo as early as 4 a.m. caused a traffic snarl-up stretching several kilometres, the third checkpoint motorists travelling from Machakos had to pass after similar barricades at Kyumbi and Kenya Israel, with gridlock stretching as far as Lukenya. Police were also deployed around the Mlolongo roundabout, restricting entry into the city, while hundreds of residents were stranded at Kyumbi Junction in Machakos due to a vehicle shortage.
Thika Road fared no better. Police erected roadblocks at Ruiru, Githurai, Allsops and Kimbo, effectively preventing matatus and buses from accessing the CBD. On Waiyaki Way, traffic slowed dramatically after roadblocks went up at Uthiru and the Kangemi flyover, with several PSVs denied entry and commuters forced to walk long distances to work. Checkpoints were also set up on Ngong Road near West Park, while Lang'ata Road was closed at Nyayo Stadium and the Nairobi West Roundabout was shut to traffic heading into the city.
Even the outer ring wasn't spared. Roadblocks went up at Masai Lodge Junction in Rongai and Kingero Junction along the Lower Kabete-Western Bypass corridor, producing long vehicle queues in Limuru Town, while motorists on the Westlands and Kiambu corridors had to find alternative routes.
A Deserted Capital
The result was a city centre that looked nothing like a normal Thursday. Streets in the CBD were unusually quiet, with many businesses closed and security officers stepping up patrols and barricades, while Kenyatta Avenue lay largely deserted with only a handful of pedestrians and vehicles visible. Photos from the morning showed wide, empty roads under overcast skies, with Kenyatta Avenue and Moi Avenue largely deserted and activity along Tom Mboya Street, one of the city's busiest commercial corridors, significantly reduced.
Parliament buildings were wrapped in razor wire as activists prepared to lay flowers in honour of those who died during the 2024 protests. Security officers were heavily deployed around Parliament, State House, government offices and other strategic installations, in what observers described as one of the most extensive security operations Nairobi has witnessed in recent years. Police Deputy Inspector General Gilbert Masengeli, addressing the situation at Kangemi, said the roadblocks were meant to stop weapons and "goons" from being ferried into the CBD.
Business owners weren't taking chances either. In downtown Nairobi, traders deployed vigilante groups armed with clubs and wearing reflective jackets to guard their premises against possible looting or vandalism.
The Country Beyond Nairobi
Not every town saw the same paralysis. Businesses shut down in Nakuru as the city emptied ahead of the anniversary, and a heavy police presence was reported in Kisii, while Kisumu's CBD stayed calm with traffic flowing normally.
Government's Defence and Public Frustration
Officials insisted the disruption wasn't the plan. Murkomen had told the nation on the eve of the protests that Thursday would remain a normal working and school day, while confirming police had received notification of planned demonstrations and would provide security and guidance.
That assurance didn't sit well with stranded commuters. One Kenyan online questioned how the day could be a normal working day when police had filled the roads to town with roadblocks, while another asked how commuters were meant to reach the CBD at all. Vehicles from Eastlands and the Industrial Area that usually use Landhies Road were turned away at the City Stadium roundabout, and motorists on Waiyaki Way ran into roadblocks near the 87 area in Kinoo and Kangemi. Matatus using the Western Bypass were reportedly turned back to Wangige, and roads leading to Parliament were sealed off entirely.
Marching Anyway
Despite the lockdown, demonstrations went ahead. Marchers carried Kenyan flags and called for justice for victims of police violence, recalling the 2024 events when thousands of young people stormed Parliament to oppose tax increases amid a cost-of-living crisis, and police opened fire on protesters in a crackdown that drew widespread national and international criticism. By the day's events, businesses remained closed in parts of the capital, Parliament stayed heavily secured, and demonstrators accused the government of moving too slowly on compensation and on investigating alleged abuses. e anniversary remains a flashpoint — a day meant to honour the dead that, once again, brought Kenya's capital to a near-standstill.