Nairobi Erupts as Protest Victims and UHC Health Workers Take to Streets in Fresh Showdown With Government
Fresh demonstrations broke out in Nairobi’s Central Business District on Thursday morning as two separate groups—victims of the 2024 anti-government protests and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) health workers—marched through the city centre, piling pressure on the government over unresolved grievances.
The protests, which unfolded simultaneously in the heart of the capital, highlighted growing frustration among Kenyans seeking justice, compensation, and employment security amid ongoing debates over government accountability and public sector reforms.
UHC health workers took to the streets demanding immediate absorption into permanent and pensionable terms, arguing that they have served under the government-backed healthcare programme for six years without meaningful job security.
Carrying placards and chanting slogans, the healthcare workers marched towards the Ministry of Health offices, insisting that the government honour its commitments and recognise their contribution to Kenya’s healthcare system.
The workers accused authorities of subjecting them to years of uncertainty despite playing a critical role in delivering health services across the country.
“We have dedicated our lives to serving Kenyans, yet many of us continue to live in financial uncertainty. We deserve permanent employment and payment of our gratuity,” some of the demonstrators stated during the procession.
The healthcare workers maintained that prolonged contractual employment has left many struggling financially, with some unable to plan for their futures due to the absence of pension benefits and long-term employment guarantees.
Meanwhile, a separate procession involving survivors and victims of past anti-government demonstrations made its way to Jogoo House, where they sought official approval for a peaceful memorial march planned for June 25, 2026.
The delegation was led by Siaya Governor James Orengo alongside People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, who later held consultations with Police Spokesperson Muchiri Nyagah.
According to organisers, the planned June 25 procession will commemorate Kenyans who lost their lives during the June 2024 anti-government protests, events that sparked nationwide demonstrations and intense scrutiny of state security agencies.
The victims’ coalition stressed that the upcoming march would be peaceful and aimed at honouring those who died while exercising their constitutional right to protest.
Thursday’s demonstrations came barely a day after victims and survivors intensified calls for transparency regarding the government’s proposed compensation programme.
Speaking to the media earlier this week, members of the Coalition of Victims and Survivors Against State Violence (CVSSV) urged the government to publish a comprehensive list of affected individuals before any compensation process begins.
The group argued that while President William Ruto had acknowledged alleged state excesses during the demonstrations, victims required more than symbolic gestures.
They insisted that recognition, accountability, and timely compensation must accompany any reparations initiative.
Joshua Okayo, an abduction survivor, criticised what he described as delays in delivering justice to victims.
“No apology can erase the bloodshed, trauma and pain inflicted on people whose only crime was exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest.”
The government’s reparations programme includes a proposed KSh2 billion compensation fund intended to address more than 1,100 claims involving deaths, injuries, torture, abductions, enforced disappearances, and other alleged human rights violations linked to the protests.
As pressure mounts from both healthcare workers and protest survivors, Thursday’s demonstrations underscore the growing demands facing the government as it seeks to address long-standing grievances while preventing further public unrest.
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