Viral ‘Mr Speaker Sir’ protester arrested during June 25 anniversary march
By William Muthama, June 25, 2026Ezekiel Kyama, the young Kenyan who went viral for declaring “Mr Speaker Sir” after entering Parliament during the June 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, has been arrested during demonstrations marking the second anniversary of the historic Gen Z movement.
In a TikTok post recorded on Thursday, June 25, 2026, from inside a police cell, Kyama informed his followers that he had been arrested alongside several other protesters while taking part in the anniversary march.
“Tuko Central, tumeshikwa. Tuko watu wengi na tulikuwa tumekuja tu anniversary,” he said.
Translated, Kyama said they were being held at Central Police Station and that many people had been arrested despite only attending the anniversary commemoration.
Kyama was among several protesters detained in Nairobi on Thursday, June 25, 2026, as hundreds of young people took to the streets to commemorate those who lost their lives during last year’s demonstrations and renew calls for justice and accountability.
Other detainees who appeared in Kyama’s TikTok video also appealed for assistance following their arrest, with some calling on Embakasi East MP Babu Owino to intervene.
The activist rose to prominence during the June 25, 2024, anti-Finance Bill protests after a video showed him seated in the Speaker’s chair inside Parliament shortly after protesters breached the parliamentary precincts.
Heightened Security
Kyama’s arrest came amid heightened security across Nairobi as Kenyans marked the second anniversary of the June 25, 2024, protests.
Earlier in the day, several activists were arrested outside Parliament Buildings as they attempted to commemorate the historic demonstrations.
The arrests occurred amid a heavy security operation around Parliament, where hundreds of police officers had been deployed, and major roads leading into the city centre were barricaded ahead of planned marches.
Authorities maintained a strong presence around key government installations as activists, opposition leaders and families of victims sought to honour those killed during last year’s anti-government protests.
Police also disrupted a symbolic march by opposition leaders and civil society activists who had gathered to lay flowers in honour of victims of the June 25, 2024, demonstrations. Through a public address system, officers repeatedly ordered the crowd to disperse.
The commemorative events were organised to remember those who lost their lives during the 2024 protests and renew calls for accountability over deaths, injuries and human rights violations linked to the demonstrations.