By Spy Uganda
Kenya is in mourning once again after a day of remembrance for the victims of last year’s historic Finance Bill protests descended into deadly chaos. At least nine people were confirmed dead and more than 400 others injured following violent confrontations between demonstrators and police forces across 27 counties.
The National Day of Remembrance, organized largely by Kenyan youth movements, was intended to honor those who lost their lives during the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests. Last year’s protests, driven by Gen Z and millennial Kenyans, forced the government to abandon a controversial bill and reshuffle the Cabinet — a moment hailed as a victory for civic activism.
But today, that memory was marred by bloodshed.
By midday, what began as candlelit vigils and marches had erupted into scenes of confusion and violence. In Nairobi’s Central Business District, peaceful demonstrators were dispersed with tear gas and rubber bullets. In Kisumu, witnesses reported police firing live rounds. Elsewhere — in Nakuru, Eldoret, Mombasa, and towns across western and coastal Kenya — street battles between protestors and riot police left trails of destruction.
“We were holding candles and singing the national anthem. Then came the tear gas, the rubber bullets, and the chaos,” said Faith Achieng, a university student who sustained injuries during the Nairobi protest.
Hospitals in several cities were stretched to capacity as medics treated injuries ranging from gunshot wounds to trauma caused by beatings and stampedes. Civil society organizations, including Amnesty International Kenya, condemned the police crackdown, describing it as “a gross abuse of power.”
“The state has learned nothing and forgotten nothing. Peaceful protest is not a crime,” said Irungu Houghton, Executive Director of Amnesty International Kenya. He called for an urgent, independent investigation and justice for the victims.
The anniversary marked one year since the historic June 25, 2024 protests, which saw young Kenyans take to the streets in a nationwide rejection of a Finance Bill that proposed tax hikes on essential goods and digital services. That wave of dissent, unprecedented in scale and largely peaceful until met with violence, resulted in dozens of deaths and led to a reshuffling of President William Ruto’s cabinet.
Many hoped this year’s commemoration would be a moment of unity, reflection, and renewed calls for justice and accountability.
“This was a memorial. We came to mourn, and now we are mourning again,” said Brian Muriuki, a protest organizer in Meru.
The renewed violence has sparked fresh political tensions. Opposition leader Raila Odinga decried the government’s response as “a repeat of 2024’s brutality” and called for the resignation of the Interior Cabinet Secretary. Several Members of Parliament are demanding an independent inquiry into the killings and arrests.
The government, meanwhile, insists that law enforcement acted “within the confines of the law,” accusing a section of protestors of provocation and vandalism. The Ministry of Interior stated that a full report would be released once ongoing investigations are complete.
- 9 confirmed dead: 3 in Kisumu, 2 in Nairobi, with others in Nakuru, Kakamega, and Mombasa
- Over 400 injured, many hospitalized in critical condition
- 27 counties reported active protests or vigils
- Dozens arrested, including student leaders and civil rights activists.
As Kenya reels from yet another day of violence, the question remains: can a country yearning for justice and reform find a path to peaceful dialogue and reconciliation? For the thousands who took to the streets in remembrance — and for the families now grieving anew — the dream of a better, fairer Kenya feels more urgent than ever.
