Police have fired teargas canisters at youths who had started to protest on Tom Mboya and Kenneth Matiba Streets in Nairobi.
The officers, some in plain clothes, engaged the protesters, arresting some in the process.
They were bundled into a standby Police vehicle.
There is heavy deployment of riot police officers ahead of the anticipated demos
While some are stationed in strategic locations, others are patrolling on foot while others are using trucks.
Meanwhile, business is slow in the Nairobi central business district amid clear roads ahead of the protests.
A spot check by the Star shows that several shops are closed on major streets.
Instead, the business owners are stationed outside their premises to guard them from looters.