The Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), which is typically teeming with life on work days, fell into an eerie silence on Monday as the capital was brought to a complete standstill.
What is often a chaotic CBD turned into ghostly stillness broken only by the occasional sound of patrolling police vehicles, journalists and security personnel guarding shops and other business.
Supermarkets, phone shops, food joints, electronics stores and even street vendors were nowhere to be seen. The usually vibrant Kencom, Archives, Luthuli Avenue, Tom Mboya Street, Kenyatta Avenue, Moi Avenues and Accra Road were all empty.
Police on horsebacks patrol Kimathi Street in Nairobi on July 7, 2025 to keep members of the public off the Central Business District.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
The shutdown, caused by fear of the Saba Saba protests and memories of past protests including the ones on June 25 marred by looting and vandalism, prompted a widespread closure of businesses.
The demonstrations that were supposed to take place in city to commemorate Saba Saba did not take place as the police blocked all entries into the CBD.
Street families that normally camp in major parts of the city were notably missing, save for a few spotted near Jamia Mosque.
DIG Gilbert Masengeli: Everybody is allowed to enter CBD, people are reporting to work as usual
In the morning hours, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Gilbert Masengeli said that saying that no one was being prevented from accessing the CBD.
“Everybody is getting to the CBD and going to work as normal. No worries... you will not be turned away. We only urge everyone to keep the peace and act within the rule of law,” Me said while patrolling the city.
But a check by the Daily Nation across major streets indicated that residents were unable to enter the CBD due to heavy security barricades.
The National Police Service’s strategy of sealing off all entry points into the city was effective but came at a heavy cost as all businesses were shut down.
Roadblocks at every major entry into the city prevented public service vehicles from accessing the CBD, forcing operators to withdraw their vehicles from the roads. Entry by private cars was also blocked by the police.
Ngong Road, used by matatus from Ngong town, Karen, Kawangware and Kibra, was blocked near Junction Mall.
Razor wire was erected along State House Road and Parliament Road, with heavy deployment of anti-riot police.
A barricaded Parliament Road on July 7, 2025 after police officers blocked all roads leading the Central Business District.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
Kangemi also saw a significant police presence, with officers stopping vehicles from accessing the CBD via Waiyaki Way.
Tension was reported along Thika Road where anti-riot police were deployed to disperse small groups protesters.
Only certain vehicles, such as ambulances and media vans, were allowed through the blockades, and even they had to undergo thorough searches to prevent infiltration. In some cases, even these were stopped altogether from accessing the city.
Unlike the June 25 protests where the roadblocks were only to keep out vehicles, the police this time also did not allow pedestrians to pass.
Those who managed to enter the CBD early in the day faced difficulty getting out as no public transport was available.
A police roadblock at Westlands roundabout in Nairobi on July 7, 2025 after police officers blocked all roads leading the Central Business District.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
One woman who had come into the city early to visit a patient at the Kenyatta National Hospital but was dropped far from the facility had to walk.
“How will I get to the hospital? I have someone there who needs care. I came very early, but we were dropped a long way out. I had to walk, and I don’t know how I’ll get there now with all these police,” she said.
At Kigali Lane off Kimathi Street, medical tents that had been set up to treat potential victims of demonstrations remained empty. Unlike during previous protests, no ambulances were seen criss-crossing the city.
Well into the evening, businesses remained closed. No vehicles were allowed into the CBD, with top police bosses patrolling the city on foot, backed by a helicopter overhead.
