Kenyan youth came out in historic numbers all across the country to remember their 60 colleagues and friends killed by the Ruto government on June 25, 2024 when the young Kenyans were fighting to stop the 2024/25 Finance Bill.

There were spectacular events across our land. After all the killings on June 25, 2024 President was forced to cancel his Finance Bill and start from the beginning.

June 25, 2025 was a great day for Gen Z patriots and activists all across the country and for all Kenyans who care about human rights. It was a magnificent remembrance day for their fellow fighters and colleagues.

There was action all over the country and the numbers of people coming out to take action to make their country better was overwhelming. Nairobi was packed in every corner of the city. That included Central Police Station where Albert Ojwang’ was killed by strangling and blowing his head to pieces. The Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat who paid for and organized his killing is still walking free.

This generation of Kenyans are refusing to put up with such brutality from the Ruto Government. Demonstrators had a big rally in front of Parliament where 60 young Kenyans were killed as they started their movement on June 25, 2024. The rallies were all over Nairobi City including places like Embakasi, Moi Avenue and everywhere.

Outside the city of Nairobi there were demonstrations and action in Mombasa, Kiambu, Kisii, Ol Kalou, Kisumu, Tharaka Nithi, Kikuyu, Nyandarua, Juja, Nyeri as the demonstrations covered the whole country and it reached a point where President William Ruto got terrified and asked the CA to cut off all coverage of the demonstrations and they had to shut down their news lines which was coming live to millions of Kenyans all over the country.

Gen Z Activists Demands that they told Kenyansa and the Ruto Government.

Their first demand is that President Ruto stops killing them and the one poster every where was about the Kenya police shooting young Kenyans every week since the first Gen Z rallies in Nairobi in 2024.

Ruto could hide his head in the sand in Kilifi where he was but Kenyans could see that a new day for the country is on the horizon. The activists in the demonstrations everywhere had very specific demands specifically calling for an end to police abductions of Kenyans which is happening everywhere in the country.

They called for justice for Kenyans who lost their lives having been shot or beaten to death by Ruto’s police. Kenyans pay taxes for these police officers and they have no business murdering them everyday like is happening now.

Gen Z activists asked for meaningful and legal compensation for those who have lost their lives since June 25, 2024 due to police killing them or injuring them until some cannot even stand up now. That compensation is not charity to the killed and violently abused Kenyans and their families but away of the government admitting that yes they have done terrible things to Kenyans and they are ready to take responsibility for their actions against the Kenyan people.

There is also the issue of a Public Inquiry which the so called United Opposition has jumped on but Gen Z can ignore them because they are useless. The Gen Gen Z demonstrators called for a specific Public Inquiry for the violence and killing of Kenyans from June 25, 2024 up to right now. That should be a big priority for us as Kenyans and lets get it done right away.

Kenyans also need that inquiry to include what happened when Ruto and Rigathi Gachagua were killing Kenyans very ruthlessly from July 7, 2023 during the Saba Saba demonstrations till it ended.

I am sure Gachagua will be really pissed off when Gen Z start demanding that inquiry but the good news is that Gachagua is pretty useless as far as human rights is concerned and he has no place in the Gen Z movement and demands for justice in the country.

A heavy police presence has been reported across Nairobi and other major towns. 

Heavy police presence was reported across Nairobi and other major towns. 

Mombasa, Tharaka Nithi governors praise peaceful protests in their counties

According to media reports Mombasa and Tharaka Nithi governors informed Kenyans that they had peaceful protests in their counties. Their remarks followed a similar stance by Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o who also talked about peaceful demonstrations in Kisumu City.

Governors from across the political divide have commended residents in their respective counties for conducting peaceful demonstrations during Wednesday’s commemoration of the first anniversary of the Gen Z-led protests

Of course in Nairobi the police made it very tough for the demonstrators to have any peace and they had to flee from teargas and bullets everywhere.

Then came the politicians who were too scared to join the demonstrations and were later seeking to be part of what happened when they were hiding in their big houses when Kenyans were fighting for human rights in the country and many being teargassed and shot by the police.

The Fred Matiang’i Who Kenyans Know By His Actions and Words as Interior CS in 2017

Now Matiang’i has no shame lying to Kenyans how much he values protests and human lives when he was doing exactly what Willam Ruto is doing now. Matiang’i did the same thing as Uhuru Kenyatta’s CS for Interior when he was directly involved in killing Kenyans in the streets including the well known case of Baby Pendo a seven year child killed by Matiang’i troops in her family house in Kisumu.

“Very frankly it’s very unfortunate and very painful to see what’s going around in the country because I don’t think there’s anyone who thinks we should be living like this every day.” Matiang’i announced.

That was Matiang’i after Jesus visited him and converted him to a human being who values Kenyan lives and freedom and not the monster who was killing everybody including children in 2017. Maybe Matiangi can send that Jesus to Ruto to make him concerned about abuse of human rights.

“Whatever side of the political divide you are, these issues need to be addressed,” he said. How many lives are we going to loose before we start listening to each other?

Of course Matiang’i has not told Kenyans how many lives the country lost when he was killing people in 2017.

“These young active citizens were exercising their protected right to petition the authorities. I fully associate myself with the sentiments they expressed,” Matiang’i stated.

“I urge the government not to harden its heart but to genuinely listen to the citizens’ cry for justice and reform.”

He issued a strong plea to law enforcement officers to exercise restraint and not to turn weapons on fellow citizens.

“Please do not meet peaceful protests with force. It is only through dialogue and a genuine willingness to listen that we will find a path to the peaceful resolution of grievances,” he said.

“Use of force by the authorities will only deepen the crisis and push the country down a dangerous and slippery slope.”

Kalonzo Goes Hiding After Laying Wreath at Parliament Building

Then we have the forever fake opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka who came in to lay a wreath for those killed in June 25, 2024. Kalonzo and his buddy Eugene Wamalwa came ready for the demonstrations wearing army fatigue clothing as if they were ready for combat with the Kenya police and were going to join the young Kenyans in the streets marching for justice.

“We will be peacefully marching on June 25 in honour of our fallen heroes,” Kalonzo declared. Shamefully enough the only marching Kalonzo Musyoka and Eugene Wamalwa did after laying the wreath was to march to their Five Star hotel rooms in Nairobi to watch the Kenyans actually protesting in the streets. At some point cowardice must have limits if you want to lead the country”.

Please Steve at least bother to do what you say you are going to do and not just dressing up with pictures of young Kenyans who have lost their lives to the Ruto regime..

Here is Kalonzo’s own statement of defiance that died as soon as he finished laying the wreath

“To those blood-based regime bloggers intent on misleading Kenyans on the United Opposition’s position, know your FAKE NEWS attempt has ONLY served to galvanize Kenyans. We will be peacefully marching on June 25 in honour of our fallen heroes,” the statement read in part. We have to preserve our soldiers and liberators, so that we all live to witness that glorious day. Going forward, therefore, we will be careful not to fall prey to the schemes of this bloodthirsty regime”

As for the big mouth and alleged leader of the United Opposition, Rigathi Gachagua, he was probably forced to remember the young Kenyans he wiped out in 2023.

Young Kenyans commemorated the hundreds of people Gachagua killed for Ruto’s as his DP during the Saba demonstrations in July 2023

Gen Z demonstrators on June 25, 2024 held remembrance events for their buddies who were killed during the Saba Saba rallies the year before. I wonder when Gachagua and Kalonzo are to going to declare July 7, 2023 as a public holiday to remember many Kenyans Gachagua killed for Wiliam Ruto.

The Shujaaz Memorial Concert began with prayers across different churches in the city before proceeding to Uhuru Park.

Thousands of Kenyans gathered, holding placards reading “RIP Comrades” and “We promise we’ll keep fighting,” while chanting “Ruto must go.”

Crosses draped in the Kenyan flag and bearing the names of those killed during the protests were erected at the park, symbolizing the heroism and martyrdom of the fallen protesters.

Former Chief Justice David Maraga teargassed

Kenyans must be proud of two opposition leaders who did what the promised Gen Z activists and joined the protestors in the streets in Nairobi where former Chief Justice David Maraga had to eat some teargas for his bravery as he was attacked with those fumes along Kimathi Street when he joined protesters. Kalonzo at that time was eating his chicken in his hotel room. while watching everything on TV. Great leadership isn’t it?

Gachagua in the meantime was having a big barbeque in Wamunyoro even as his own Nyeri Town was on fire as the police were fighting the demonstrators.

Here is the barbeque Rigathi Gachagua was feasting on in Wamunyoro when Justice Maraga and Gachagua’s own constituents in Nyeri were feasting on teargas from the police. That very brave man Gachagua needed some food so he could go out and scream about Kenya police the next day when everything was quiet.

Justice Maraga addressed activists outside the Nation Centre building, calling for peaceful and orderly protests.

‘’We should all ensure our women are safe let us all ensure everyone is safe,” he said. 

Supporters shielded him to safety when police lobbed teargas canisters into the crowd.

He added, “I can testify that no one attempted to destroy property. We were peaceful.”

‘’We strongly condemn the use of state violence against grieving families and peaceful protestors. The flagrant violation of the Constitution and human rights must stop,’’Maraga said.

Now someone like Okiya Omtatah in the opposition right now engaging in exploring possibilities to be at front of the country in a position of national leadership also showed Kenyans that he has guts and he is honest when he says that he stands with the Gen Z activists fighting to make our country better that where are now.

These leaders like former Chief Justice David Maraga and Okiya Omtatah have given Kenyans a very reason to look in their direction as possible candidates for the presidency and other key positions in our next government in 2027.

The Loud mouths like Rigathi Gachagua and Kalonzo Musyoka have given Kenyans every reason to just ignore them because they are useless in critical times for the country. The two always talk about Gen Z activists and behave as if they are their leaders because they want their votes but melt into thin air when the activists need them the most in the fight for the nation. They can sit down now and will have their public holidays for the rest of their lives.

Aftermath: Sixteen dead, survivors nurse injuries after deadly protests

Going forward is tough particularly for those lost loved ones to the Ruto police bullets. Fatalities were reported in Nairobi’s Ngara, Embakasi, Molo, Matuu, Emali, Ol Kalou, Ongata Rongai, Juja and Kikuyu, where police opened fire on protesters.

Media reports indicate at the Nairobi Funeral Home, a heavy blanket of grief hangs over the air. One family after the other walks in, their faces pale with shock, their eyes swollen from hours of weeping. 

They have come to identify their loved ones—victims of the June 25 protests—who left home that morning and never returned. 

Looking forward there are a lot of internal things the Gen Z groups will look into as they approach the next actions they will take. That is their own business and they did not get where they are as a national movement for justice for our country with help from outside.

One big thing Gen Z and all Kenyans have to deal with is VOTER REGISTRATION. Opposition leaders are not talking about that because they are busy trying to kill the IEBC set up by President William Ruto using all sorts of petty wrangling and they imagine they are fighting Ruto but in reality they are shooting themselves in the neck not in the foot.

Here is a big issue Kenyans including Gen Z have to deal with. It is very possible that of all those huge number of activists out there in the streets on June 25, 2025, 99% of them have no voting cards and William Ruto loves that because it will favour him come voting day in 2027.

Yes the IEBC as presently constituted has problems but if the opposition succeed in burying the IEBC now ready to go, Ruto will not put in place another IEBC maybe until June/July in 2026. That will be a political bonus for him and suicide for the opposition because that IEBC will spend months trying to get money and setting their whole voting infrastructure until 2027 when the election is knocking at the door and there will be no voter registration at all or maybe one month only for it which is useless.

The Ruto government is about to declare that no rallies and demonstrations will be held in Kenya anymore with their new noisy talk about “We must have a Country”. There will be rallies whether Ruto likes it or not. Nobody needs his permission for that and he knows it.

Kenyans need a country run by leaders who are elected by the Kenyan people everywhere of all ages that qualify to vote.

Gen Z need to take their time and organize massive rallies as soon as possible which be committed to get voter registration for all Kenyans who qualify to vote. If that becomes the message and vision that Gen Z activists takes to every corner with mass rallies it will be done and as soon as the opposition leaders see Gen Z demanding voter registration they will jump on that.

Young Kenyans have to tell William Ruto one thing which is “Look Mr. President you have your police with guns killing us but we need our Voting Cards as our weapon to elect the leaders we deserve for the country.”

That has to be done before we run out of time. With older voters from 2022 as the only ones voting, William Ruto will have a landslide win because some leaders are obsessed about which tribes will vote for Ruto and which tribes he will loose. That is their nonsense and they will see the reality in 2027.

The Tribeless Gen Z will vote for whoever they think is capable of taking our country out of the quagmire we are in as a country and they will not give a damn about that person’s tribe. The candidates will of course will also include Gen Z folks running for different offices in the country.

Gen Z population need voting cards to be able to vote because it constitutes a harmless weapon in their hands on the voting day. That time there will be no teargas and guns from the police and they will just deal with that humble ballot box.

Adongo Ogony is a Kenyan Human Rights Activist and a Writer who lives in Toronto, Canada