‘Comrades Power!’ Students protest after officers remove their bus number plate during Gilgil crackdown
By Steve Ireri, August 15, 2026A brief commotion broke out after university students confronted and booed officers who removed the number plate of their bus during a traffic crackdown along the Gilgil route near the Nakuru weighbridge.
The incident was captured in a video shared by one of the students on TikTok on the evening of Friday, August 14, 2026, showing the tense standoff between the students and officers during the major highway operation.
In the video, the students, who are from one of Kenya’s popular universities, are seen demonstrating against the crackdown after their bus was stopped by the officers.
The students are heard questioning why their bus had been stopped while other vehicles appeared to be allowed to proceed, with some calling on their student leaders to take up the matter and challenge the officers over the incident.
The situation gradually escalated as the students gathered around the bus and voiced their frustration over what they perceived as unequal treatment during the operation.
Some of the students could be seen picking up tree twigs as the demonstration intensified, while others raised their voices in chants of “Comrade Power” as they continued protesting.
The students, who were dressed in matching red T-shirts, also pulled out their mobile phones and began recording the confrontation, capturing the developments as the standoff unfolded.
Number plate issue
Later in the video, officers dressed in reflective jackets are seen returning to the bus the students were travelling in.
One of the officers then approaches the rear of the vehicle and removes its number plate as the students watch in disbelief.
The move immediately attracts the attention of the students, who begin questioning what had happened and why the plate had been removed.
The officer is then seen walking away from the bus while carrying the removed number plate.
Several students follow closely behind him, with some loudly booing and jeering at the officers as they demand answers over the action.
Other students remain near the bus, continuing to record the confrontation on their phones as tensions remain high.
The footage captures the students repeatedly voicing their dissatisfaction with the officers, while the crackdown continues along the busy highway.
The operation appeared to involve several officers stationed along the major highway, with motorists being stopped as part of the enforcement exercise.