Under grey Nairobi skies, opposition leaders Kalonzo Musyoka and Eugene Wamalwa stood quietly outside Parliament Road on Wednesday morning, clutching wreaths and standing alongside grieving families. The flowers were meant for the dead — young Kenyans killed during last year’s anti-Finance Bill protests, a movement largely driven by the country’s Gen Z.
The leaders, joined by relatives of the deceased, had earlier walked from the Holy Family Basilica, where they held prayers in the open. They were stopped by police barricades — a wall of razor wire and riot gear now routine during such gatherings.
"Today, we just want to remember these young people," said Mr Musyoka, leader of the Wiper party. “Even if we are denied access to Parliament today, this day must be properly commemorated as a national holiday in the future.”
Mr Wamalwa, head of the Democratic Action Party (DAP-K), stood in quiet agreement, while some family members laid roses and photographs of their loved ones on the pavement.
No formal church service was held. Instead, prayers were said just metres from Parliament Square — now a symbol of both power and pain.
A City on Edge
Across the capital, tension simmered beneath a surface of relative calm. Streets that would normally be jammed with traffic were eerily quiet. Police blocked off key roads in the Central Business District (CBD), anticipating a surge of demonstrators marking the first anniversary of the 25 June protests — a day that ended in chaos, with Parliament briefly stormed.
Protesters, mostly in their twenties, waved flags, sang, and carried placards with photos of victims. Many also carried white roses, a symbol of peace.
At Kimathi Street, near the Stanley Hotel, police lobbed teargas after a crowd swelled unexpectedly, though most of the day’s actions remained peaceful. Along Tom Mboya Street and outside the National Archives, groups continued to grow — under the watchful eye of police in riot gear.
Business owners in the CBD, recalling last year’s violence, kept their doors shut. Streets were lined with shuttered stalls and drawn blinds. Some whispered anxieties about looting, others feared a repeat of last year’s bloodshed.
“We Want Justice, Not Violence”
Meanwhile, in Mombasa, hundreds gathered before sunrise. Dressed in black, they began their procession from the ACK Memorial Church, winding slowly through Moi Avenue.
They marched for the same reason as those in Nairobi: to honour the more than 60 Kenyans killed during the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests. Most were under 30. Some were students. Others were job seekers, caught in the crossfire of a system they felt had failed them.
One of the organisers in Mombasa, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, said they had taken precautions to ensure the day’s events remained focused and safe.
“We are here to remember, not to cause chaos,” he said. “We’ve lost too many. Today is about justice.”
Police in the coastal city cleared traffic ahead of the procession and followed behind in escort vehicles. No major incidents were reported by mid-morning.
A Year On, Still No Answers
The 2024 protests began as a backlash to the Finance Bill, a controversial piece of legislation proposing tax hikes on essential goods and services. What started online as a Gen Z outcry soon exploded into mass demonstrations across the country.
Rights groups say the state response was excessive. According to Amnesty International and the Kenya Human Rights Commission, at least 60 people were killed — though official figures remain lower.
To date, no public inquiry has been conducted. Families say they’ve been left in the dark, with little more than unfulfilled promises and silence.
As Nairobi braced for the day’s outcome, Mr Musyoka was firm in his message: “We cannot forget these young lives. Kenya must reckon with what happened.”
Whether that reckoning comes in a courtroom, in Parliament, or on the streets — remains to be seen.