Tensions flared along the Kenya–Tanzania border on Thursday, October 30, 2025, after police opened fire on protesters at the Namanga border post. The confrontation left two Tanzanians dead and two Kenyans nursing critical gunshot wounds.
According to reports, the shooting occurred on Thursday afternoon when a crowd of protesters attempted to cross from Kenya into Tanzania to join demonstrations against alleged unfair elections in the neighboring country.
The two Kenyan victims, who sustained severe gunshot wounds to their abdomens, were rushed to Kajiado County Referral Hospital for emergency treatment.
Kajiado County Commander Alex Shikondi confirmed the deaths of the two Tanzanians, aged 27 and 28, stating that they were shot by officers on the Tanzanian side during the chaos. He noted that the officers appeared to be firing indiscriminately from across the border, hitting protesters who were still within Kenyan territory.
Earlier in the day, the protests had begun peacefully after a group of Tanzanians reportedly overpowered border guards and crossed into Kenya. Once on the Kenyan side, they began demonstrating against what they described as a lack of transparency and fairness in the ongoing Tanzanian elections. They were soon joined by Kenyan sympathizers.
As tensions rose, protesters started pelting stones at Tanzanian security officers, prompting the police to open fire. Footage circulating online showed young men marching along the Namanga highway, chanting slogans and lighting bonfires on the road.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo later warned Kenyans against joining the cross-border protests, saying doing so would violate the country’s laws.
“I don’t want to speak about what is happening in Tanzania. My point is that as a country, we have laws that guide demonstrations. Anyone wishing to protest should do so within the law,” Omollo stated.
Authorities from both nations have since launched investigations into the deadly border incident.
