Nine police officers were injured and three police vehicles damaged during the June 25, 2025 protests in Mathira, Nyeri County.
According to police, the demonstrations, which took place in at least 24 counties across the country, began in Mathira at around 8:40 am when a group of youth blocked the Karatina-Nairobi highway with stones and burning tyres near the Karatina main stage and Total petrol station. The roadblock caused heavy traffic and some protesters were reported to have extorted money from motorists.
Police officers drawn from Mathira East and West, DCI units, Administration Police, and Kenya Police College in Kiganjo were deployed to the area to restore order. Despite attempts to engage the crowd peacefully, the protesters became increasingly aggressive.
“They kept chanting ‘wan tam’, blowing whistles and vuvuzelas as their numbers grew. At around 11:00 am, they started pelting officers with stones and turned violent,” a police report said.
At around 11:30 am, the group attempted to storm the home of area MP Eric Wamumbi in Kamunyaka but were repelled by police. Additional officers from Tetu sub-county were brought in to reinforce the security team.
Protesters later broke into the DCC Mathira East compound, shattered windows at the sub-county education office, and looted the APS canteen. They were stopped as they attempted to set fire to the Karatina Law Courts. The group then regrouped and marched toward Karatina Police Station with the intent to cause destruction. Later, around 7:00 pm, they tried to loot Mathai Supermarket but were again repulsed before gaining full access.
Police confirmed that nine officers sustained injuries, including leg and arm wounds, while others complained of chest pain. Three police vehicles — one each from Karatina Police Station, DCI Mathira East, and the Central Region DCI headquarters — were damaged during the chaos.
“There were two unidentified civilian fatalities, and five civilians were admitted to Karatina District Hospital with suspected gunshot injuries,” police said.
Normalcy was restored around 8:30 pm and traffic flow resumed.
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