The streets of Nairobi fell silent on July 7, 2025, as the capital witnessed a government-enforced shutdown that many Kenyans believe handed an unintentional victory to the protesters. Marking the 35th anniversary of the historic Saba Saba uprising, the city found itself in a surreal, near-post-apocalyptic state with streets deserted, shops closed, and a heavy police presence dominating the landscape.
The government’s reaction to anticipated protests was swift and intense. By dawn, major access routes into Nairobi including Waiyaki Way, Mlolongo, Roysambu, Ngong, and Kitengela had been barricaded. Police checkpoints dotted every arterial road, blocking entry to the central business district. The plan was clear: prevent potential protesters from reaching town. But the result was a ghost city, completely shut down not by demonstrators, but by the very state security agencies meant to stop them.
What followed online was a wave of satire and criticism. Many Kenyans pointed out the irony: in a bid to prevent disruption, the government ended up causing the very chaos it feared. Roads were blocked, businesses closed, and economic activity ground to a halt all without a single protester having to act. Social media users dubbed the day a “forced public holiday,” with quips about whispering the word “maandamano” to bring the country to a standstill.
The atmosphere remained largely calm, without reports of the usual chaos associated with street protests no clashes, no teargas, no property destruction. In a twist of fate, the government’s over-preparation seemed to have neutralized any need for civil unrest. Instead, Kenyans stayed home, amused and critical of the overreaction.
Activists and commentators took to platforms like X to mock the authorities’ actions. Observers noted that the protest had, in fact, succeeded precisely because it didn’t happen in the traditional sense. The silence in Nairobi became a statement of its own. It was, as some said, the most peaceful Saba Saba in years void of violence yet full of impact.
This year’s events reaffirm the symbolic power of Saba Saba, which commemorates the 1990 protests that paved the way for Kenya’s multiparty democracy. Despite its modern evolution into a day of civil expression, this year’s observance sent a strong message: that silence, too, can be revolutionary and that sometimes, the strongest protest is simply staying home.
