AfriPulse
Kenyans have been urged to stay at home on June 25, 2026, as families mark the young people killed during anti-government protests over the past two years.
In a notice submitted to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja at his office, the families of the Gen Z protesters who died said they plan to hold peaceful activities nationwide. Their plans include a march to Parliament Buildings in Nairobi, where they will lay flowers at locations tied to the deaths of their loved ones. The organisers also said there will be no school or work that day.
“On Thursday, June 25, 2026, we have invited all Kenyans to stay at home; no school, no work, in remembrance of the children who were killed by the state in the past two years,” the organisers stated.
The families further said they want clear assurances from police leadership that participants in the commemorations will receive protection.
“We want assurance from the IG of police that he will protect life and property during the peaceful marches taking place across Kenya on June 25, 2026. No parent should bury their child because of taking part in a peaceful protest. No more killings,” they said on Thursday when they delivered their notice.
They were accompanied by former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, Senior Counsel Martha Karua, Senior Counsel James Orengo, Senior Counsel Gitobu Imanyara, and Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) Executive Director Khelef Khalifa.
The organisers said the commemoration comes after the deaths of young Kenyans during the June 2024 protests against the Finance Bill, when security officers faced accusations of using excessive force against demonstrators.
The families added that their children exercised their constitutional right to protest and submit petitions to public officials over concerns about governance.
“In June 2024, during peaceful protests against the Finance Bill, Kenyan security officers killed our sons. Our children were exercising their constitutional right to protest and deliver petitions to public officers to challenge poor governance. They were murdered in cold blood, many of them shot in the back while fleeing. Some were shot in the head to illustrate that the police intended to kill, not to apprehend the protestors,” they said.
The group said it will use the planned activities to honour those who died while pressing for justice. They also urged authorities to respect citizens’ constitutional rights during peaceful demonstrations. They added that similar events will take place in different towns across the country as Kenyans mark the anniversary of the protest movement, which they say reshaped the nation’s political conversation and strengthened demands for accountability and change.
Source: NairobiWire.com | Read the Full Story…
