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On July 7, 2025, Kenyans returned to the streets. Not to commemorate a distant past, but to relive and reignite a powerful moment in their nation’s democratic history. Saba Saba, once a rallying cry for political pluralism in 1990, has reemerged as a symbol of widespread frustration over state failure, economic exclusion, and the erosion of fundamental freedoms.
In Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nakuru, citizens gathered once again — not with nostalgia, but with necessity. The spirit of Saba Saba was not merely remembered. It was revived.
Kenya in 2025 stands at a difficult crossroad. Inflation is biting into every household. The cost of food, fuel, and transport has soared beyond reach for millions. The public sector is drowning in debt. Corruption investigations have stagnated. And a bloated executive remains shielded from accountability.
Citizens feel abandoned. The promises of leadership — from economic reforms to justice system overhauls — have dissolved into empty rhetoric. With rising unemployment, unaffordable living, and a politically paralyzed opposition, many Kenyans are turning to the streets to be heard.
The Saba Saba protests this year were a loud, coordinated pushback against this dysfunction.
In the early hours of Monday morning, organized groups began peaceful processions through Nairobi's central business district. Youths carried placards denouncing excessive taxation, police brutality, and worsening inequality. Civil society leaders issued firm declarations, calling for genuine political reforms and an end to economic mismanagement.
Security forces responded with a familiar strategy: intimidation. Riot police dispersed crowds in Kisumu and Nairobi with water cannons and tear gas. Reports of arbitrary arrests emerged by midday, particularly targeting young protest leaders and vocal activists.
Despite this, the protests were not crushed. They spread. Social media amplified them. Citizens in towns across the country picked up the message — demanding government transparency, dignity in governance, and real economic relief.
Unlike previous years, the 2025 demonstrations were not isolated. They were widespread, organized, and deeply rooted in economic distress. This was not just a protest by civil society groups. It was a protest by workers, students, traders, and ordinary citizens who feel the system no longer represents them.
The symbolism of Saba Saba — once about breaking a single-party system — has shifted. Today, it is about breaking elite impunity. It is about holding leaders accountable for systemic failure. The struggle has evolved, but the grievance remains: a government that fails to listen, and a people determined to be heard.
The political establishment responded with strategic indifference. No major government figure addressed the demonstrators directly. Instead, security spokespeople issued warnings against ‘unlawful gatherings’ and accused protesters of being manipulated by external actors. This familiar script only deepened the public’s discontent.
What was absent was dialogue. What was present was force.
By evening, several opposition figures and activists had been detained. In a country where the democratic space is narrowing, this sends a chilling message about how dissent is treated.
Thirty-five years after the original Saba Saba uprising, the core demands remain: representation, dignity, justice. The 1990 protests cracked open a dictatorship. The 2025 protests are now aimed at a democracy that has lost its soul.
While the government may downplay the scale of unrest, it would be mistaken to ignore its meaning. Kenyans have once again shown that they will not remain silent in the face of injustice. Saba Saba is not just a commemoration. It is a living challenge to those in power.
Saba Saba 2025 was not about looking backward. It was a sharp, urgent reminder that the promises made decades ago remain unfulfilled. From economic disillusionment to political exclusion, the cries on the streets echo louder than ever.
This year, Saba Saba was not just a memory. It was a mirror — reflecting the failures of governance and the resilience of a people who refuse to surrender their voice.
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