Gen Z martyrs who marched for change, paid with dear lives

Exactly two years ago, a generation rose. They were young Kenyans armed not with weapons but smartphones, the national flag, and the Constitution. They were the Gen-Zs pushing for better governance and accountability.

What began as peaceful demonstrations against a punitive Finance Bill 2024 would become one of the bloodiest chapters in Kenya’s modern history, leaving at least 60 young lives lost.

Today, as Kenyans mark the second anniversary of the fateful protests, the nation celebrates the young people, the students, the engineers, the vendors, brothers and sisters, daughters and sons who paid the ultimate price demanding for a better Kenya.

The bloodshed began on the Thursday of June 20, 2024 when Rex Kanyike Masai, a 29-year old man, became the first casualty of police brutality during the protests.

Rex was shot in the thigh on Moi Avenue in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) and died from excessive bleeding, as confirmed by a post-mortem conducted by Chief Government Pathologist Johansen Oduor.

Nearly two years later, an inquest into his killings continues with a police constable Isiah Murangiri Nduba being the prime suspect. 

But justice is yet to be served.

A week ago, the case took a fresh twist after the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) investigating officer Justin Nyatete admitted in court they do not have sufficient evidence against Murangiri, stating that they could not identify him.

Call for accountability

Lawyers representing the National Police Service have accused IPOA of overlooking critical evidence, including CCTV footage from private and government buildings and failing to trace key eyewitnesses in the June 2024 shooting that led to Masai’s death.

The deadliest day of the protests came on June 25, 2024 when thousands of protesters stormed Parliament where the controversial Bill was discussed and passed.

David Chege, a young IT professional and a protester was among those who were gunned down outside the Parliament Buildings. The 39-year-old Mathematics and Computer Science graduate teacher was reportedly the first person to be murdered after the historic breach of one of Kenya’s most critical installations, the Parliament.

Beside him fell yet another protester, Ericson Kyalo Mutisya, a 25-year-old butcher who was shot by a police officer. Two years on, no officer has ever been named or held accountable.

Chege was laid to rest on July 9, 2024, at his parents’ home in Mang’u village, Gatundu North. Human rights defenders and activists attended his funeral and called for accountability for him and other victims of police brutality.

As protesters entered Parliament grounds and then retreated, Eric Shieni, a 27-year-old Finance student at the University of Nairobi was shot in the back of the head. He was among the protesters who were leaving the Parliament grounds after security agencies intervened. He was due to graduate in September 2024 but the bullet cut short his life.

Ibrahim Kamau Wanjiru, a 19-year-old motorbike taxi driver from Nairobi’s Biafra neighbourhood, was shot twice in the neck near Parliament. 

Perhaps, the most harrowing casualties were the children who never participated in the protests, but fell victim to circumstances.

Kennedy Onyango, a 12-year-old boy, left his home in Rongai on the evening of June 25 to borrow a book from a classmate who lived nearby but he never returned. He was not even in the protest; his only mistake was stepping outside her mother’s house.

A bullet tore through his shoulders, causing a fatal hemorrhage. A post-mortem examination revealed he was shot eight times. Her mother Josinter Onyango described his son as a talented boy, citing his good drawing skills. 

Kevin Odhiambo, 16, the head boy at his school, was shot while leaving school in Rongai. His pockets contained only a pen and a house key. His mother, Phoebe Akinyi, described him as a born leader whose dreams of becoming an electrician were killed by a bullet.

Kilometres away from Nairobi, Credo Oyaro, a 17-year-old Form Four student at Kapsoya Secondary School was shot in the head at the Timbo XO Club, cutting short his dreams of becoming a professional footballer.

In Mombasa, Emmanuel Giggs Tata, 20, became the coastal city’s first casualty, succumbing to tear gas inhalation at Mwembe Tayari. His cousin recounted how police cornered protesters, firing tear gas from both sides, and he could no longer walk after inhaling fumes.

Benson Mbithi, a 29-year-old tout at the Kisumu Bus Terminus, was shot nine times by police dispersing demonstrators near the terminus. His dream to move in his own house by December 2024 were cut short and now her five-year-old daughter will grow up without a father.

In Kakamega, Caroline Shiramba, 35, a street vendor was going about her daily business when chaos erupted. She was shot in the back while trying to board a matatu to Sigalagala while in Narok town 19-year-ol Brian Lemaiyan Kasaine, who was set to begin his higher education, was shot and killed in protests.

In Nakuru, Austin Makokha, 18, died from excessive blood loss after a bullet severed a major blood vessel behind his knee. Michael Kihunga Nyaguthii, 28, suffered three gunshot wounds that caused internal organ damage and excessive bleeding.

But not all protesters died by the bullet. Denzel Omondi Onyango, a 23-year-old third-year Quantity Survey student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, was  killed elsewhere and his body found two weeks later.

Denzel had recorded himself at Parliament on June 25, chanting “Occupy Parliament” - a campaign by the protesters to breach the august House, then he was seen in the university the next day, then vanished on June 27.

His body was discovered on July 6, floating in a deserted quarry in Juja, 12km from his residence.

An autopsy concluded he died by drowning, but pathologists indicated that he had bruises on the back of his head and legs. His family and human rights activists rejected the findings, suspecting abduction and murder. 

Charles Owino, 19, was shot in the head in Kitengela and the bullet that killed him was never found during the post-mortem, raising fears that evidence had been tampered with.

His family claimed he was not part of the protests and that he was on his way to buy medicine. The autopsy showed he died from a gunshot to the head although police had earlier recorded his death as a road accident in the morgue.

Evans Kiratu, 21, died on June 22 after being struck by a tear gas canister fired by police in Nairobi. He succumbed to fatal groin injuries and internal bleeding at Kenyatta National Hospital. He was among the victims who died due to delayed treatment. In his case, witnesses described desperate efforts to get him to KNH, where queues of injured protesters delayed treatment.

Wounded and bleeding

Brian Kimathi, 21, was assaulted by plainclothes officers on June 27. He was left severely wounded and bleeding, and died at KNH following day.

Stories of some of the young Kenyans who died have never been told in public as some disappeared only to be found dead. Two years later, IPOA has investigated dozens of cases, but only three have been approved to proceed for prosecution.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights documented 39 deaths by July 1, 2024, with the toll rising to over 60 in subsequent weeks. The commission recorded deaths across 13 counties: Nairobi (17), Nakuru (3), Laikipia (1), Narok (1), Kajiado (3), Uasin Gishu (4), Kakamega (1), Kisumu (2), Kisii (1), Mombasa (3), Siaya (1), Kiambu (1), and Nandi (1).

However, more deaths were recorded during the Saba Saba protests, and in 2025 during the commemoration of the first Gen Z anniversary.

On Monday, a report released by IPOA indicated that out of all the 127 protest-related deaths recorded since 2024, only three cases are currently being prosecuted in court for murder.

The progress report revealed that 46 cases from the 2024 protests and several others stemming from subsequent demonstrations are still under active investigation by IPOA, while others have been forwarded for review or closed.

IPOA said slow forensic processing and insufficient evidence heavily delayed the investigations.

Human rights organisations including Amnesty International castigated the police for using live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons on unarmed civilians.

The government set up a committee to find ways of reparations and they have recommended payouts for deaths and various categories of injuries. However, victims, families and observers say money cannot buy justice.