Police on Monday afternoon fired teargas at a rally led by Rigathi Gachagua and Kalonzo Musyoka in Nairobi’s Central Business District, triggering chaos and forcing supporters to flee.

The rally, held near the Tea Room area, had drawn a sizeable crowd of opposition supporters who gathered to listen to their leaders address current political issues. Tension escalated shortly after Kalonzo began introducing Wiper Party members who had accompanied him to the event. According to videos circulating online, the situation changed abruptly moments after a party aspirant concluded his remarks, when media coverage of the rally suddenly went dark before thick clouds of teargas were seen spreading across the area.

Supporters scattered in different directions as smoke engulfed nearby streets, disrupting businesses and traffic within the busy CBD. Eyewitness accounts indicate that police officers moved in swiftly to disperse the gathering, although it remains unclear what prompted the decision to lob teargas at that particular moment.

In the aftermath, Gachagua and other opposition leaders were hurriedly escorted away along River Road as security officers sought to contain the situation. The rally had taken place shortly after the leaders visited the Inspector General’s offices to raise concerns over alleged police brutality, a matter that has recently heightened political tensions.

Authorities had not immediately issued a comprehensive statement on the incident by the time of publication, as calm gradually returned to the affected sections of the city centre.