NMG’s live coverage of June 25 told deeper story of state of democracy

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

What you need to know:

- To effectively record the day’s events, NMG brought out its full arsenal, deploying teams in most parts of the country.

- On the digital platforms, a running blog and regular updates kept readers informed about the day’s events.

The Nation’s June 25, 2026, headline, “The day that changed Kenya,” was an early indicator that it would not be business as usual. The previous evening, NTV had set the stage with a bulletin largely dedicated to the deadly Gen Z demonstrations of June 2024, including a documentary in Kiswahili and English.

The Fixing the Nation crew started off the day’s coverage with a mix of in-studio conversations and live reportage from reporters across the country. The images of Nairobi and its environs were most telling. There were more police officers than civilians in the city, which was also in a near-shutdown. Major roads leading to the city were blocked and heavily manned by police.

In its own way, the Fixing the Nation crew paid homage to the mostly young people the country lost in the protests by reading out all their names and condoling with their families. The simple gesture, which lasted less than a minute, was loaded with emotion and meaning.

Any Kenyan hearing the names would not fail to notice that virtually every corner of the country suffered a loss. Hundreds of individuals are still reeling from the physical and emotional wounds inflicted on them on June 25, 2024.

Running blog and regular updates

To effectively record the day’s events, NMG brought out its full arsenal, deploying teams in most parts of the country, including Eldoret, Nakuru, Kisumu, Nyeri, Kitengela, Thika and the Nairobi Central Business District. The editors ensured back-to-back coverage, with the teams in the studios giving news updates, hosting discussions with guests and taking viewers to the ground, where the teams were ready with live updates.

On the digital platforms, a running blog and regular updates kept readers informed about the day’s events.

NMG’s well-organised multi-platform coverage gave Kenyans a full picture of the country, including major towns and cities, which remained peaceful with normal operations throughout. The reporters also gave some residents of these areas a chance to express themselves about their decision to carry on with the day’s activities.

But the coverage also told the story of the state of Kenya’s democracy. The sheer show of might by the security forces was evident. Many areas, especially Nairobi and its environs, were turned into a police state. At the countless roadblocks, most people were barred from going about their business, let alone joining any demonstrations. At the end of the day, Thursday turned out to be an informal holiday for Nairobi dwellers, as no children went to school and no parents went to work. It was not a normal working day, as announced earlier by the government spokesperson.

Democracy and the people’s rights

It was ironic to watch the video clip of Police Inspector-General Douglas Kanja proclaiming that the entire country was peaceful, juxtaposed with images of the police lobbing teargas at protesters or arresting young people. The police chief attributed the blockade to what he termed “intelligence-led policing”. According to him, police were merely acting on intelligence to avert chaos.

Contrary to the assurances by President William Ruto and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen that Kenyans would be allowed to exercise their constitutional right to hold peaceful processions, the situation on the ground told a different story.

For many, their freedom of movement was curtailed and their right to earn a living denied. Hundreds of young people were denied the opportunity to join the processions commemorating those killed in the June 2024 protests. Those who attempted even to wave the Kenyan flag were quickly seized and dragged into police lorries.

This leaves many questions: Was the day about the rule of law or the rule of force? Where does Kenya go from here? Will every attempt to protest or demonstrate be quashed by brute force? What conversations will the country have regarding democracy and the people’s rights? On whose side will the media be?

Correction

In last week’s Public Editor’s Notebook, we erroneously stated that the framework for compensation of victims of rights violations was developed by the panel of experts.

The correct position is that it was developed by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, and the panel is charged with handling the administrative work. We regret the error.

Reporting originally appeared via Nation Africa. Read the full source for additional context.