NAIROBI — In a quiet church hall by the Indian Ocean, a call for remembrance rang out.
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka on Sunday urged Kenyans to light candles outside Parliament Buildings on 25 June. The act, he said, would honour the lives lost during last year’s youth-led protests against the Finance Bill.
“We must never forget those young Kenyans who died or were injured,” Kalonzo told the congregation at Jesus Celebration Centre in Malindi. “Let us gather peacefully, with candles in hand, and show the nation that their lives mattered.”
His words come nearly a year after the 2024 protests erupted into violence. Demonstrators, many of them young and driven by social media activism, stormed Parliament in outrage over new taxes in the controversial Finance Bill. What began as peaceful protests spiralled into chaos after security forces were deployed.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights later confirmed that at least 60 people died in the weeks that followed, with hundreds more injured. Many of the casualties were reportedly the result of police using live ammunition.
Opposition leaders have since called for 25 June to be marked annually as “Gen Z Liberation Day.”
At the time, President William Ruto condemned the unrest as “treasonous.” In a national address, he accused “organised criminal elements” of exploiting the demonstrations to create disorder.
But as public anger swelled, the government changed course.
Just days later, Ruto withdrew the Finance Bill. “I concede,” he said in a live broadcast from State House. “I will not sign the 2024 Finance Bill. It shall be withdrawn.”
The decision was followed by sweeping changes. The President dissolved his Cabinet and struck an unlikely deal with opposition leader Raila Odinga. Under their new arrangement, Odinga seconded five senior figures from his party to join a broad-based government.
Among them: John Mbadi, now Treasury Cabinet Secretary; Hassan Joho, overseeing Mining; Wycliffe Oparanya, heading Cooperatives; and Opiyo Wandayi, appointed to the Energy docket.
In a rare moment of contrition, Ruto also addressed the youth directly. At a National Prayer Service in May, he apologised “for anything the generation felt aggrieved by,” though critics called the apology vague and overdue.
Today, Kalonzo’s candlelight vigil proposal signals a continuing effort by opposition leaders to keep the memory of the protests and the lives lost alive.
“It’s not about politics,” Kalonzo said. “It’s about acknowledging the pain of a generation. A nation that forgets its children is a nation adrift.”
There has been no official response from the government regarding the vigil. However, civil society groups and victims’ families have expressed early support.
“This is a moment for healing,” said Irene Mumbi, whose 22-year-old son was injured during the protests. “Lighting a candle is a small act. But it means everything.”
