Police Fire Tear Gas at Protesters Blocking Nairobi–Nanyuki Highway
Operations along the busy Nairobi–Nanyuki Highway were disrupted for several hours on Tuesday, February 10, after police fired tear gas to disperse protesters who had barricaded the road while demanding justice over the mysterious death of a young woman in Nyeri County.
Traffic on both sides of the highway ground to a halt after angry residents erected barricades using stones, burning tyres, and makeshift bonfires, rendering the dual carriageway impassable. Motorists were forced to seek alternative routes as tensions mounted at the scene.
According to eyewitness accounts and images seen by the media, protesters marched along the highway carrying the body of the deceased woman, who was reportedly found dead in a pit latrine at her home in Giagatika area, Nyeri County, earlier the same day. The circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear.
Police officers were deployed to the area to prevent the situation from escalating further. The procession was intercepted at the Kiamachibi area, where officers fired tear gas to disperse the crowd and reopen the highway.
Residents accused security agencies of failing to act swiftly in previous cases and demanded immediate investigations into the woman’s death.
“We want answers. This girl did not deserve to die like this, and we will not keep quiet,” one protester shouted as police moved in to break up the demonstrations.
Authorities said the use of tear gas was necessary to restore order and ensure the safety of road users.
“The highway is a critical transport corridor, and blocking it poses serious risks to both protesters and motorists,” a senior police officer at the scene said, adding that investigations into the death were already underway.
The protest comes amid heightened public anger over recent incidents involving alleged deaths and injuries linked to police operations. Just two days earlier, residents of Huruma Estate in Nairobi staged similar demonstrations following the fatal shooting of a Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) student during a police operation on Saturday, February 7.
According to reports, the KMTC student was helping her mother sell fish at a roadside stall when police officers, who were reportedly pursuing a suspected thief, opened fire. The suspect was said to have sought refuge near the stall, triggering chaos in the area.
The shooting sparked violent protests in Huruma, during which several vehicles were vandalised, business premises destroyed, and shops looted as criminal gangs took advantage of the unrest. Traders reported significant losses as police struggled to contain the situation.
In response to the Huruma incident, the National Police Service (NPS) said investigations had been launched to establish the facts and hold those responsible accountable.
NPS spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga stated that the officer involved claimed to have fired shots into the air to disperse a hostile crowd that had been alerted by the suspect.
“The officer discharged the firearm to scare away the crowd. Later, information was received that a young girl had been shot during the ensuing confusion,” Nyaga said.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has since deployed investigators to Huruma to conduct independent inquiries into the shooting. IPOA confirmed that its officers were on the ground collecting statements and evidence.
As protests continue to erupt in different parts of the country, human rights groups have called for restraint by both demonstrators and police, urging authorities to prioritise transparent investigations to rebuild public trust.
For motorists along the Nairobi–Nanyuki Highway, traffic was eventually restored after police cleared the barricades, but tensions in the affected communities remain high as residents await answers.
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Police Fire Tear Gas at Protesters Blocking Nairobi–Nanyuki Highway
