NAIROBI, Kenya — Feb 17, 2026—The United Opposition has announced plans to stage a major protest at the Kenya Police Headquarters in Nairobi on Friday, demanding the arrest of officers responsible for the deaths of two people in Kitengela, Kajiado County, during a rally led by ODM Secretary General Wafula Sifuna.
The fatalities occurred when police reportedly used live ammunition to disperse crowds, raising serious concerns over excessive force and violations of citizens’ constitutional rights.
The opposition says the Friday protest will be a peaceful demonstration aimed at demanding justice, accountability, and the protection of political freedoms.
The announcement comes amid heightened tensions in Nairobi, where opposition leaders Kalonzo Musyoka and Rigathi Gachagua faced police teargas and forceful dispersal during a peaceful march to the Tea Room.
Kalonzo condemned the government’s response, calling it an attempt to criminalise dissent and intimidate citizens.
“The response of the State was force. Canisters of teargas were fired into a peaceful crowd. Innocent
Kenyans were left choking, running, and scattering, not because they had broken any law, but because they dared to stand in defense of justice, accountability, and dignity,” he said, emphasizing that opposition leaders would not be silenced.
Gachagua also criticised the use of live ammunition on peaceful citizens, warning that “teargas, bullets, and all weapons that exist cannot extinguish the will of the people of Kenya. A government scared of its people has no legitimacy.”
The United Opposition has called on Kenyans to join the Friday protest peacefully, stressing that it is a lawful exercise of their constitutional rights.
The move signals escalating pressure on the government to ensure accountability for the Kitengela deaths and to safeguard freedoms of assembly and expression.
