Good governance advocate and lawyer Willis Otieno has come out to condemn the installation of barbed wire around Parliament Buildings as Kenya marks the second anniversary of the June 25 Gen Z protests.

In a post on X on Thursday, June 25, 2026, Willis said Parliament belongs to Kenyans and not the government, arguing that restricting access to the institution sends the wrong message about democracy.

His remarks came as security agencies mounted a heavy security operation around Parliament and key government installations.

Barbed wire was erected around sections of Parliament, and major roads leading to the area were either blocked or heavily restricted ahead of the planned nationwide demonstrations.

Willis reacts after barbed wire is installed

Reacting to the security measures, Willis said Parliament derives its authority from the people and should never be viewed as government property.

“Parliament does not belong to the government. It belongs to the people.”

He added that the institution was established using public resources and exists to serve Kenyans.

“It was built with public resources, operates on public funds, and derives its authority from the sovereign will of Kenyan citizens.”

According to the lawyer, treating citizens as a threat to Parliament reflects a worrying shift from democratic principles.

“The idea that citizens should be treated as a threat to their own Parliament is a troubling reflection of how far some leaders have drifted from democratic principles.”

Heavy security

Willis’ remarks came as Nairobi woke up to heightened security, with anti-riot police deploying across the Central Business District, Parliament precincts and roads leading to key government installations.

Roadblocks were mounted on several major routes, while razor wire and barricades were placed around Parliament.

Some businesses also remained closed as security agencies prepared for the planned demonstrations.

The security measures come exactly two years after protesters breached Parliament during the June 25, 2024, anti-Finance Bill demonstrations.

Murkomen’s assurance

On Wednesday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the government respects every Kenyan’s constitutional right to peaceful assembly and that police had received formal notification of the planned demonstrations.

Murkomen said police were ready to provide security and guide peaceful protesters in accordance with Article 37 of the Constitution.

However, he warned that intelligence reports indicated some political actors intended to mobilise goons, gangs and criminals to infiltrate the demonstrations and attack businesses and innocent civilians.

The CS said the government would deal decisively, and within the law, with anyone attempting to exploit the protests to cause chaos, loot property or commit criminal acts.

He added that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations had already launched investigations into individuals suspected of mobilising or sponsoring violence.

Murkomen also urged peaceful demonstrators to distance themselves from criminal elements if they encountered them during the protests, saying this would make it easier for police to enforce the law.

As Kenyans gathered to commemorate the June 25 Gen Z anniversary, the contrasting positions highlighted the tension between heightened security measures by the government and concerns raised by some lawyers, activists and civil society groups about access to public institutions and the protection of constitutional rights.