Kalonzo: We shall formalise June 25 as public holiday
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has vowed that June 25 will be formally recognised as a public holiday in honour of young Kenyans who lost their lives during the historic Gen Z protests of 2024.
Speaking outside Parliament Buildings on Thursday, June 25, 2026, during a memorial ceremony marking the first anniversary of the June 25 demonstrations, Kalonzo said the day had become a defining moment in Kenya’s democratic journey and deserved national recognition.
“We are witnessing the fact that this is the most successful public holiday because of the police barricading, so people could not come to places of work, and so on our part, we commit that when we take power next year, God willing, we shall formalise this day to be a proper public holiday,” Kalonzo said.
Kalonzo was joined by former Chief Justice David Maraga, People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, DAP-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa, lawyers, civil society activists, and families of victims as they laid flowers in memory of those killed during last year’s anti-government protests.
Kalonzo has described the day as one that symbolises the courage, sacrifice and determination of Kenyan youth in demanding accountability and better governance.
The leaders observed a moment of silence before laying flowers near Parliament, where protesters gathered in their thousands on June 25, 2024, to oppose the controversial Finance Bill. The demonstrations culminated in protesters breaching the parliament buildings, triggering a security response that left scores dead and many others injured.
Calls for social justice
Kalonzo said the sacrifices made by young Kenyans should never be forgotten and called for justice for victims and their families. He urged the government to respect constitutional freedoms and ensure those responsible for unlawful killings and injuries are held accountable.
One thing that the likes of Kalonzo Musyoka have never comprehended is that Gen Z movement by the Kenyan youth was never about supporting opposition leaders and their endless whining and WANTAM nonsense.
Kenyan youth came out in 2024 and 2025 with very specific demands to President Ruto and they completely rejected the 2024 Finance Bill and were very specific of the items on the budget that was going to make life very expensive for everybody in the country.
The demos by young Kenyans forced President Ruto to abandon his 2024 budget completely and come with something new and better. Today opposition leaders want the 2026 Finance Bill and Budget rejected and yet they cannot even point at any items in the 2026 Finance Bill that will hurt Kenyans because the so-called opposition leaders have not even bothered to read the budget and have no idea what is in there.
Gen Z Kenyans are not going to buy total rubbish from the lazy opposition and it was obvious there will be no mass protests on June 25, 2026 as demanded by the opposition which has not agenda whatsoever for Kenyans.
Someone like Rigathi Gachagua realized that there will no demos and he started calling on young Kenyans to stay home and not come to the streets as if they needed his advice.
The other thing that bothers Kenyans about demos is the rise of young people called goons which has now become common in demonstrations in Kenyan where they just burn down everything and loot businesses and property. Kenyans are scared of that terror in their streets and the young folks are not going to be party to that kind of destruction.
People like Kalonzo Musyoka are going to have to bring their own kids and family members to their demonstrations to face the same problems like other Kenyans.
To make things worse for the opposition opportunists Present Ruto just launched the Compensation for Victims of State Violence one day before the opposition planned rallies which is a practical and helpful way to support Kenyans who have been victims of state violence in the last 12 years going back to 2013.
It was very good to hear from the families of those killed during the 2024/25.
Young Kenyans in a place like Kisumu are busy registering to vote in 2027.
Here is what is going on in Kisumu on June 25, 2026. It is very impressive to see so many Young Kenyans lining up to get IDs and also register as voters by getting the voting cards. That is what is going to matter on August 10, 2027 to elect new leaders for Kenya.
According to media reports Kisumu residents decided that voting is going to be their weapon in 2027.
As Kenyans took to the streets to mark the memorial for victims of human rights violations, residents of Kisumu turned up for a mass voter registration drive, terming it an alternative form of expression.
Close to 8,000 identification cards were availed for collection at the Kondele roundabout, with residents describing the exercise as a turning point in their engagement with the government.
This as business activities continued as usual across the Nyanza region, where residents also marked the memorial.
By 9am on Thursday, hundreds of residents of Kisumu had gathered at the Kondele roundabout, where chiefs from across Kisumu Central Constituency supervised the issuance of identification cards.
In a separate tent, IEBC officers facilitated voter registration, with residents saying they had opted for a different approach to expressing their views.
“This is an alternative form of expression. We have been trying the same thing the same way and getting the same results, but this time we are trying a different approach where, if we give power back to the people, what do we get?” Another resident, Deborah Ojuka, stated.
Here is part of their story. A real new chapter for the young people who went to register as voters.
Adongo Ogony is a Human Rights Activist and a Writer who lives in Toronto, Canada
