Two years on, Kenyan families still seek justice after Gen Z protests
Families of those killed and missing say investigations have stalled as accountability remains out of reach. Nairobi, Kenya – June 25, 2024 is a date
Families of those killed and missing say investigations have stalled as accountability remains out of reach. Nairobi, Kenya – June 25, 2024 is a date many families in Kenya now mark in silence. What began as youth-led protests against the Finance Bill escalated into nationwide demonstrations, with protesters entering Parliament grounds during the unrest. In the violence that followed, people were killed and others went missing, according to rights groups and official tallies. Two years later, some families say they are still searching for answers. The Human Rights Watch World Report 2026 said 26 people linked to the 2024 anti-finance bill protests and 15 linked to 2025 demonstrations remain missing. On Tuesday, families of those killed, alongside civil society groups and members of the public, held a memorial march in Nairobi to mark the anniversary and call for accountability and police reform. The cost of dissent “I don’t like seeing Denzel’s pictures and videos. They are a painful reminder of my son. When an anniversary like this comes, I find myself crying. That is why I stay away from public conversations about these things,” said James Otieno, who told Al Jazeera he is the father of Denzel Omondi. Denzel Omondi, 23, went missing days after he took part in the #OccupyParliament protests. His family said he was arrested by police at a house in Nairobi where he was staying with relatives, shortly after posting a video showing protesters inside Parliament. Otieno said no one has been held accountable for his son’s death and that the family is still waiting for progress in investigations.
Denzel was among 62 people killed during the 2024 anti-finance bill protests, according to official and rights group tallies cited in investigations into the unrest. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) said only three of the 62 deaths have reached court. In a June 22 statement, IPOA said three cases are before court, three have been referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for review, one is under internal legal review, four have been closed after internal investigations, five were closed following ODPP directions, and 46 remain under investigation. Speaking to The Star, IPOA Vice Chairperson Anne Wanjiku Mwangi said investigations involve multiple agencies and depend on evidence thresholds and prosecutorial review. “The progress of a case to court depends on the sufficiency of evidence and the outcome of prosecutorial review by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions [ODPP],” she said. She added that some cases may be closed if they do not meet legal thresholds, while others may require further investigative work. Missing without a trace For Susan Wangari Wanjohi, the search for her son Emmanuel Kamau Mukuria has continued for two years, she told Al Jazeera. Mukuria disappeared on June 25, 2024 after being arrested at Imenti House in Nairobi’s central business district. He was 24 years old. According to Wanjohi, her son had left home looking for casual work as a tout. Friends later told her they saw him being arrested by police. “There is no prison I have not visited in this country while looking for my child,” she said.
The BriefWire