Nairobi Lady Vows Never to Attend Another Protest after First-Time Experience: “I Almost Died”

• Caroline Wambui was excited to join fellow citizens at Nairobi CBD for the anti-Finance Bill 20204 protests
• However, hours into the demonstrations, Wambui said the atmosphere changed as it became chaotic with the introduction of the police
• The Nairobi woman narrated her first experience in a protest to TUKO.co.ke, swearing she would never participate in another

Nairobi – The Finance Bill 2024 displeased many Kenyans who took action to prevent its passage.

They showed their solidarity by marching to the streets in large numbers on Tuesday, June 25, and protesting against it.

It was the first time a young lady from Nairobi County had participated in a protest, joining fellow Kenyans in the anti-Finance Bill 2024 demonstrations.

Caroline Wambui spoke to TUKO.co.ke as she vividly shared her first-time experience at a protest.

“I was pumped up and ready because of the Finance Bill, which angered me and many Kenyans. Words cannot explain how ready I was for the maandamano. I almost carried a mwiko, but being a baddie, I did not. I only carried a small purse and water bottle,” she said.

There were many people, Wambui recounts

Wambui said she left her house at 10am, hoping to arrive at Nairobi Central Business District early.

She went alone but would later meet a friend who was as charged up about the anti-Finance Bill protests as she was.

“When I arrived in town, there were so many people. They had arrived early, and they were of singular focus. Some celebrities had also arrived and did not look down on fellow citizens. They blended in with other Kenyans, and their addition to the demos strengthened more protesters because they associated themselves with people of power and influence,” she said.

However, the atmosphere slowly began to change as police officers slowly started to arrive at the CBD.

Why were Nairobi protestors scattering?

They were armed and looked like they were on a mission, perhaps not to bring peace, as Wambui observed.

“To be honest, the demos were peaceful until the officers came. Within no time, tear gas was flying from almost all directions. That was the only way to scatter crowds without approaching the protesters. People were running away in every possible direction.

It was my first time to be teargassed. I could not breathe. I was gasping for air as I ran away, seeking a place of refuge,” Wambui vividly recounted.

She was lucky to be given a surgical mask by the friend she met in town who stuck by her throughout the demos.

Did police use live bullets in Nairobi protests?

They found a place to rest. As they regained, they took a breather and drank water following the chaotic moment.

“We could not stay in one place for long after that. We were moving from place to place as though we were pastoralists. It got worse when the police began using live bullets. This was a moment I never expected. I never thought I would be in such a position where now I would be running away for my life. My heart was beating faster when I saw someone who had been shot in the leg, and some people were helping him walk,” she emotionally recounted.

Wambui said what began as a peaceful day became an event of life and death as she sought cover and looked for a way to leave the vicinity and go home.

As she manoeuvred through the streets, she met people going in diverse directions, including injured ones.

Some had blood stains, Caroline Wambui recalls

“Some had blood stains, others were wounded. I feared for my life with all the confusion and commotion in town. I thought I would never make it out alive. I regretted that day.

It took me a while before I could get a bus home. It was so hectic, and the price skyrocketed. Many people were also scrambling for space, but I was lucky to get into one, though we took a while before we left town because of the situation,” she said.

Wambui vowed never to attend another protest despite her good intentions because of what she experienced.

“Never again. I almost lost my life once, and I am not ready to do it again. I salute everyone who showed up, but maybe for me, that was my first and second. I don’t see participating in another protest ever again,” she said.

How did Ericsson Kyalo Mutisya die?

Separately, a video showing the last moments of a protester shot dead outside parliament emerged.

Ericsson Kyalo Mutisya used to work in a butchery before his untimely death outside parliament buildings.

Kyalo, just like many other young men, took to the streets to protest against the Finance Bill 2024 but sadly lost his life.

According to the autopsy shared by Larry Madowo, the young Kyalo died from over bleeding on his back.

Source: TUKO.co.ke