On June 25, 2026, Kenyans gathered to remember the day two years earlier when police opened fire outside Parliament in Nairobi, killing at least 60 people. The shooting happened during protests against a proposed tax increase.

In 2024, the protests moved fast and drew huge crowds. Young people organized mostly through social media, with no single leader or group in charge. Within days, the demonstrations grew from regular marches into something larger: protesters pushed past security forces and entered the parliament compound itself, forcing police to leave. When police fired into the crowds near the legislature, the world paid attention. Reuters reported on the events at the time.

President William Ruto eventually canceled the tax bill that started the protests. This was a major change in course, but it came too late to stop the deaths or the damage to his reputation. The crisis weakened his government's internal unity and led him to bring opposition politicians into his cabinet to stabilize his position.

The Protests Did Not Stop

The marches two years later show that the loose network of young activists, organizers, and civil society groups that formed in 2024 is still active. Whether these yearly marches represent something lasting or just a regular moment of remembrance is something analysts in Kenya are still debating.

The money problems that caused the original protests have not gone away. Kenya owes a lot of debt, the International Monetary Fund limits how much the government can spend, and living costs remain high. When a government needs more money and looks to tax more people, it runs into tension with young city dwellers who have smartphones and social media. They see the taxes as unfair — something demanded of them without their say.

In early June 2026, another issue flared up. Hundreds of young people in Nanyuki protested against an Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base, AP reported. People worried about the U.S. military presence in Kenya and questioned whether the government was being honest about health decisions. This was a different problem from the 2024 tax protests, but it used the same tactic — street demonstrations. When multiple protests happen close together and around the same time, governments find it harder to treat each one as a separate, small problem.

There is a pattern worth noticing: different grievances are reaching the streets at roughly the same moment. This kind of overlap can build momentum in ways that single issues alone might not.

Who Is Responsible for the Deaths?

Two years later, at least 60 people are confirmed dead from the police shooting. That number matters not just for history but also for justice. Kenya's police oversight authority opened investigations, but criminal charges against the officers involved have not been publicly finished. Human rights groups want individual officers held responsible under Kenyan law and under international rules Kenya agreed to follow.

This creates a difficult spot for President Ruto. He needs the police and military on his side. Holding officers accountable would require the security forces to examine what they did in a way no Kenyan government has completed before. Families of those killed and survivor groups say they will not stop demanding justice. That means the anniversary marches are not just about memory — they are also a legal and moral pressure.

Other countries in East Africa — Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia — watched what happened in Kenya in 2024. When people can push past security forces, storm parliament, and force a government to reverse policy, that sets an example. Other governments in the region do not want to see that happen at home. How Kenya handles the anniversary and any future unrest will send a signal about whether such street movements can actually change things.

The marches happened. The big questions — who pays for what happened, whether the government will fix the money crisis, and how Ruto will deal with a generation that proved they can move faster than his government — are not going to be answered by one day of remembrance.