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Youths light bonfires, barricade Kamiti Road, Zimmerman
07th July, 2025 10:27 AM
Tensions flared Monday, July 7, 2025, morning as a group of irate youths lit bonfires and barricaded Kamiti Road in Zimmerman with stones and debris, protesting being blocked from accessing Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
The demonstrators, most of them young residents from the area, took to the streets after police set up roadblocks along key routes leading into the city, effectively sealing off major entry points.
The government’s intensified security strategy, aimed at quelling mounting nationwide protests, has seen a heavy police presence in major towns and cities since the early hours.
“We were just trying to get to town to join peaceful protests, but they blocked us here,” said one protester, his face covered in a scarf to shield from teargas fumes. “Now we are tired. We will bring the protest to them.”
From a viral video by K24 TV, plumes of black smoke rose as tyres burned across the road, causing panic among motorists and residents. Traffic along Kamiti Road came to a standstill, with public service vehicles forced to turn back or wait for the chaos to subside.
Police responded swiftly, lobbing teargas canisters into the crowd and dispersing the youths, but not before several skirmishes erupted. No injuries or arrests had been confirmed by press time, but tension remained high in the area.
This protest is part of a broader wave of unrest sweeping across Kenya, triggered by economic grievances and political discontent.
Police have vowed to maintain order, but critics argue the crackdown on movement and assembly is a worrying return to repressive tactics.
DIG Masengel’s roar
In a tense exchange with journalists on Monday morning, July 7, 2025, Masengeli dismissed reports of restrictions despite widespread observations of roadblocks and citizens being turned away from the city centre.
“Everybody is getting into the CBD, everybody is going for duty as normal no worries,” Masengeli said when pressed about the criteria for accessing the CBD amid the increased security presence.
Journalists on site challenged the claim.
“That is not true. We have seen people being turned away and several roadblocks,” one reporter countered.
Masengeli, maintaining a calm demeanour, pushed back.
“What have you seen?” he asked, before adding, “But you’ve been here—you’ve not been turned away, and you will not be turned away. Ours is just to urge everybody to keep peace and confine within the rule of law.”
Despite Masengeli’s assurances, the reality on the ground painted a different picture.
