Stones clattered across the tarmac as smoke curled into the air, blotting out the afternoon sun. Rowdy youths, whose numbers were growing by the minute, were shouting and chanting anti-government slogans, all the while anticipating the arrival of the police, who would then disperse the crowd.

These were the scenes on June 25 during the Gen Z protests. Nakuru, a city which once prided itself on its calm and serenity, had now turned into a haven of chaos and vandalism.

I watched apprehensively as the crowd continued to grow in size and energy. When they saw no response from law enforcement, they turned their attention to the CCTV cameras mounted on the road.

They played a game of stone-throwing, using the CCTV cameras as targets. Realising they could not hit them from a distance, Some of them decided to climb the poles and remove them by hand.

This is how the CCTV cameras along Kenyatta Avenue were vandalised. The Pinkam roundabout, which featured a fountain adorned with beautiful flamingos, also fell victim to these young men's wrath.

A tree along Kenyatta Avenue that was cut down during the protests on July 10, 2025.

Photo credit: Bret Sanya/Mtaa Wangu

Now, the land lies bare, a shell of its former self. As you walk around Kenyatta Avenue, you will notice that some of the bins that were put there for residents to dump garbage have been tampered with.

Some of the trees planted along the avenue have also been cut down, undermining the beautification and greening efforts.

Gitau Thabanja, the Nakuru City Manager, notes that whenever there are protests in the city centre, adverse effects are felt.

The Pinkam roundabout that was vandalized on June 25, 2025. Photo taken on July 10, 2025.

Photo credit: Bret Sanya/Mtaa Wangu

“When we have protests, revenue collection by the county is affected because people stay away from the city centre, and it is the flow of people in and out of the city that generates most of the revenue the county collects,” says Mr Thabanja.

“We have not yet conducted a thorough analysis to determine the full extent of the damage. The cameras alone were quite expensive, and when you couple this with the other vandalised items in the city centre, the total cost is significant.”

In a previous interview, the city manager revealed that restoring vandalised infrastructure can be a lengthy process due to budget constraints, and that this depends on the budget for each financial year.

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Bret Sanya