President William Ruto will address a potentially restless crowd of Kenyans today at Uhuru Gardens, marking Labour Day amid a confluence of events that have transformed the annual celebration into a critical gauge of public sentiment.
Beyond the traditional focus on workers’ rights, this year’s event has become a stage for the nation to express its anxieties over recent developments.
Labour Day, organised by the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU-K) and celebrating its Diamond Jubilee, arrives at a time when public discourse is dominated by a recent BBC Eye exposé, the shocking assassination of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were, and persistent concerns over economic hardship.
The day’s program, which includes a grand procession and speeches from labour leaders and government officials, is set against a backdrop of heightened tension.
The President’s speech, intended to address wages, employment, and labour policy, will likely be interpreted as a direct response to the nation’s current mood.
While the event traditionally offers an opportunity for the government to celebrate workers’ contributions and reaffirm labour commitments, this year’s ceremony doubles as a test of national mood.
Against the backdrop of a BBC Africa Eye exposé revealing extrajudicial police executions, and the assassination of Kasipul MP Ong’ondo Were just hours before Labour Day, the atmosphere is expected to be sombre and charged.
A nation on edge
The mood this Labour Day is not celebratory but uncertain.
The BBC documentary aired on April 27, 2025, sent shockwaves across the country, exposing disturbing footage of security officers executing unarmed civilians around the Parliament building during the June 25, 2024, Finance Bill protests, popularly known as Gen Z demos.
The Law Society of Kenya has since called for urgent accountability, demanding action on what it termed a gruelling picture of the state of our democracy.
Barely 24 hours before President Ruto’s scheduled appearance, news broke that MP Ong’ondo Were had been gunned down in what is being described as a politically linked assassination. The incident has intensified public anxieties.
Economic pressures
Kenya’s economic challenges deepened in 2025.
Inflation remains stubbornly high, youth unemployment is worsening, and several manufacturing and agribusiness firms have laid off workers due to high operating costs and reduced consumer spending.
Labour unions have been vocal in demanding wage increases and government subsidies to cushion workers.
According to the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), since the introduction of new taxes and deductions, employers are finding it difficult to comply with the rules, with some deducting more than the requirement by law.
“Clearly, if we continue raiding the pay slip, we will not have any income. So what will they do? They will have to keep borrowing; they will be distressed, and that eventually translates to social unrest. Then people begin to wonder what the value of being employed is. In our calculation, about 45 to 50 per cent of employees’ salaries are going to tax and deductions,” FKE CEO Jacqueline Mugo said in a statement on January 24, 2025.
The employers further revealed that under the Ruto administration, since 2022, close to 6,000 people have lost their jobs, with at least 57 companies announcing redundancies.
At the heart of today’s gathering is the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU-K), which is marking its 60th anniversary. While the milestone is significant, Secretary General Francis Atwoli has a big part to play in advocating for workers’ welfare, especially the continued raid on payslips.
As Ruto takes to the podium at Uhuru Gardens to address Kenyans, observers will be watching closely for any mention of police brutality, political assassinations, and rising disillusionment with his administration.
Demands and expectations
Labour Day demands this year include:
1. A minimum wage increase to keep pace with inflation.
2. Job creation strategies for youth and laid-off workers.
3. An independent probe into police brutality.
4. Justice for Ong’ondo and other victims of political violence.
5. Urgent government interventions to lower the cost of living.
As Kenyans gather at Uhuru Gardens, it remains to be seen whether President Ruto will deliver more than promises. For many, the Labour Day podium offers one last chance to restore confidence in leadership before silence becomes protest once again.
Martin Oduor
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