By Nancy Oseur
A post circulating on X (formerly Twitter) on June 25, 2026, claims that Kikuyu protesters dug up the Thika Superhighway after police blocked them from entering Nairobi’s Central Business District during the June 25 GEN-Z Memorial demonstrations.
The post is accompanied by a photograph showing a man holding a pickaxe while standing on a damaged road with the caption: “KIKUYUS PROTESTS UPDATE, TODAY. Kikuyus are now digging Thika Superhighway after police blocked them from entering Nairobi CBD.”
Background
On June 25, 2026, Kenyans took to the streets to commemorate the second anniversary of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, widely known as the Gen Z protests. The demonstrations were held in remembrance of those who lost their lives during the nationwide protests against the Finance Bill 2024. Protesters also renewed calls for accountability and justice for victims of police brutality.
The 2024 protests became a defining moment in Kenya’s recent political history after thousands of young people mobilised online and offline against proposed tax increases and the rising cost of living. The demonstrations culminated in protesters breaching Parliament grounds on June 25, 2024, an event that attracted global attention.
Human rights groups, oversight bodies, and media reports have since documented more than 60 deaths linked to the 2024 protests, with families of victims and civil society groups continuing to demand justice. Nearly two years later, only a small number of cases have reached the courts.
As the 2026 commemorative demonstrations unfolded, social media users shared numerous images and videos showing events from the protests.
Verification
A reverse image search shows that the photograph predates the June 25, 2026, demonstrations by several years. Archived versions of the photograph can be traced to online publications and social media posts dating back to September 2020.
According to the reports, the image shows residents in the Msinga Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal Province damaging a section of the R33 road between Pomeroy and Dundee during service-delivery protests. Residents were reportedly protesting inadequate access to essential services, including water and electricity.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport also published the image in September 2020 and condemned the destruction of infrastructure after protesters blocked the road and dug up part of it.
A visual analysis of the image also raises questions about the claim. The post alleges that the photograph shows protesters digging up the Thika Superhighway. However, the road depicted in the image does not match the typical features associated with the Thika Superhighway.
The Thika Superhighway is a multi-lane highway with several carriageways, extensive lighting infrastructure, service roads, and urban developments along much of its route. By contrast, the road shown in the image is a narrow two-lane roadway with sharp bends, steel guardrails, and a rural landscape. These features are inconsistent with the design and appearance of the Thika Superhighway.
The claim is also unsupported by contemporary reporting. Although Kenyan and international media widely covered the June 25, 2026, demonstrations, a keyword search shows no credible news organization reported protesters digging up the Thika Superhighway. An incident of that magnitude on one of Kenya’s busiest highways would likely have attracted extensive media coverage and generated multiple independent photographs and videos.
Verdict
The claim that Kikuyu protesters dug up the Thika Superhighway during the June 25, 2026, GEN-Z Memorial demonstrations is FALSE.
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