On 14 August 2024, the High Court issued conservatory orders directing the Inspector General of Police to ensure that officers deployed during demonstrations remain identifiable, do not conceal their faces, and do not use unmarked vehicles while policing protests. Those principles were reaffirmed in the court's final judgment delivered on 30 April 2025.
Yet during the Gen Z anniversary demonstrations on 25 June 2026, television broadcasts, photographs and numerous videos appeared to show masked men operating from Subaru vehicles, some reportedly without visible registration plates, in Nairobi.
Were these police officers?
If they were, who authorised their deployment?
If they were not police officers, then who were they? The government bears the duty to explain to Kenyans who were the armed people in civilian, masked and with unidentifiable cars.
If court orders prohibited concealed identities and unmarked vehicles during protest policing, were those orders complied with?
These questions deserve official answers not rumours, speculation or silence.
The Inspector General of Police owes Kenyans a clear explanation regarding the identity of the officers and vehicles seen during the demonstrations. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority should independently investigate whether the High Court's directives were complied with.
The Cabinet Secretary for Interior also bears political responsibility for ensuring that Kenya's security institutions operate within the Constitution and respect judicial authority.
Public confidence in policing depends on transparency. Citizens cannot reasonably distinguish between police officers, criminal gangs and other armed actors when individuals carrying weapons conceal their identities and operate from unmarked vehicles.
If investigations establish that court orders were knowingly ignored, those responsible should be held accountable in accordance with the law. Accountability may include disciplinary action, contempt proceedings or political responsibility where appropriate.
Kenyans have a constitutional right to peaceful assembly. They equally have the right to know who exercises state power over them.
The question therefore remains simple:
Were the High Court's orders obeyed on 25 June 2026?
If not, who will take responsibility?This version is framed as an accountability opinion piece while avoiding factual assertions that have not yet been officially established. It focuses on documented court orders, observable events, and legitimate questions for public officials.