A wave of civil unrest gripping parts of Kenya took a dangerous turn on Thursday evening when the Ndunyu Njeru Police Station in Kinangop, Nyandarua County, was torched by angry residents. The incident followed the fatal shooting of a local man during a protest against escalating cattle theft in the region.
According to police reports, officers had been deployed to manage an increasingly hostile demonstration when violence erupted. Protesters reportedly attacked the police, prompting a deadly response in which one man was fatally shot. The shooting sparked widespread outrage among the locals, who later marched to the police station and set it ablaze.
This latest attack marks the destruction of more than ten police facilities since nationwide protests intensified on June 25. The unrest has seen law enforcement posts and other government institutions targeted in various counties, including Kiambu, Nakuru, and Kajiado.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen responded with strong remarks, advising police to “shoot anyone who tries to attack a police station.” Murkomen labeled the recent events as acts of terrorism masked as peaceful dissent, warning that the government will crack down on both planners and participants of the violent demonstrations.
“This was not just violence,” Murkomen said. “It was an orchestrated campaign of terror, an assault on our people, our Constitution, our institutions, our values, and the very soul of this Republic.”
The confrontations have grown more brazen. In Kikuyu, chaos erupted as protestors barricaded roads, lit bonfires, and stormed police facilities, stealing firearms and injuring officers. One person was killed, and five officers were wounded in the clash. In a chilling twist, the body of the slain individual was abandoned at the Kikuyu Police Station gate.
So far, over 500 people have been arrested, and investigations continue. Authorities insist that while citizens have a right to peaceful assembly, violence and attacks on public institutions will not be tolerated.
The government’s response in the coming days will be critical in determining whether the nation can de-escalate or spiral further into instability.
