No, video doesn't show Kenyan deputy president Kindiki warning protesters ahead of 25 June 2025 protests
IN SHORT: A TikTok video shows Kithure Kindiki apparently warning protesters ahead of the June 2025 demonstrations. However, the clip is actually from July 2023 and has nothing to do with the Gen Z-led protests of 2025.
A viral 23-second TikTok video has a Kiswahili caption that roughly translates to: "Gen Z, come on Wednesday morning so we can face off. You'll see fire."
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The video, dated 24 June 2025, shows a close-up shot of Kenya's deputy president Kithure Kindiki speaking at a podium, also in Kiswahili. His speech roughly translates as: "I've heard there are people talking a lot over there, saying all sorts of things about what they'll do on Wednesday. Come in the morning so we can meet!" He further warns that Kenya belongs to everyone, not just the protesters.
The video has over 805,000 views, with more than 5,000 comments and over 39,000 likes. It was also posted on Facebook. A screenshot from the video, claiming it was a recent warning from the deputy president, was also posted on Facebook.
Essential missing context
As the first anniversary of the youth-led protests of 25 June 2024 approached, further protests were expected in 2025 to honour the demonstrators who lost their lives a year earlier.
The June 2025 demonstrations were further fuelled by recent incidents of police brutality. Kenyan blogger Albert Ojwang died in police custody on 8 June, and days later, an officer was filmed shooting a street vendor in the head at close range.
In 2023, the then opposition politician Raila Odinga had led a series of weekly anti-government protests over the high cost of living, corruption and poor governance.
Kindiki was the interior minister at the time and had led government efforts to crack down on the protests. Rigathi Gachagua was the deputy president at the time.
Following the 2024 protests, Odinga formed a working relationship with president William Ruto in the so-called broad-based government. Gachagua would later be impeached in October 2024. Kindiki was nominated and sworn in as the new deputy president.
The TikTok video began circulating about a day before the 25 June 2025 protests, implying that Kindiki was giving a strong warning against those Gen Z protests.
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But is this accurate? We checked.
Video is from July 2023
A keyword search of the phrases used in the clip revealed that it was from 10 July 2023. At the time, Kindiki was responding to Odinga's protest calls. He warned against participating in the planned protests, especially those planning to cause violence and destruction of property.
The clip was reported by several media outlets in 2023. It clearly relates to protests of that year, not to the 2025 Gen Z-led protests. While Kindiki has remained consistent in discouraging violent protests and calling for order, the video being shared is not recent.
The video has been cropped and zoomed in, likely to remove any background clues that would show it's from a different time and context.
At some point in 2023, protests were scheduled for every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. It is a coincidence that 25 June 2025 also fell on a Wednesday - and this has been used to give the appearance of Kindiki talking about the 2025 protests.
The TikTok video shows a genuine speech by Kindiki, but it is from 2023, not 2025, and refers to a different set of protests.
