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Thousands of people in Kenya are preparing to protest as the country marks the second anniversary of the Gen Z protests on Thursday, mourning the deaths of more than 120 people in a rally that has galvanized young Kenyans two years ago.
Initially due to higher taxes in 2024, young protesters – known as “Gen Z” – have raised concerns about rising prices, unemployment and corruption in government, with the aim of ousting President William Ruto from office.
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This did not happen, but the government was forced to repay the loan. However, broader problems, including economic inequality, which fueled anger among young people, have not gone away, experts say.
Last year’s event, the first anniversary, turned bloody, as the government cracked down on the protests, killing more than 60 people.
This year, Ruto’s government has repeatedly warned of protests that will begin on Thursday, and has ordered more police to be deployed.
Like last year, Gen Z protests are expected to return to major cities in the country, including the capital Nairobi, on Thursday.
So, how did Kenya’s Gen Z show start, and what is left of it this year?
What is the reaction of Gen Z?
Gen Z protests come from a different, more connected era, led by the generation born between the late 1990s and early 2010s. visitors not traditional fighters and political parties.
Although the demands are related to the social situation in a particular country, they are often in conflict with what many young people see as the backwardness of democracy and government. The movement is characterized by a decentralized, leaderless movement.
Although the name was initially associated with youth-led global climate protests, the campaign has since removed governments from countries like Nepal in 2025, Bangladesh in 2024, and Sri Lanka in 2022. Last year, similar protests took place in Indonesia and the Philippines.
Encouraging Gen Z in Kenya from 2024 is also among the strongest and most impressive trends.
How did the protests start in Kenya?
Protests began in 2024 against a budget bill that aims to raise $2.7bn in new taxes. At the height of the protests, protesters entered the parliament and set fire to a part of the parliament after politicians passed the resolution on June 25, 2024.
President Ruto succumbed to pressure and sent the law back to parliament for amendment – even before protests erupted amid government crackdowns.
Ruto came to office on the basis of a majority vote in 2022 and appealed to unelected youth groups. His campaign platform embraced what he called a “low-key approach” to prioritize millions struggling to make ends meet, targeting working-class Kenyans.
However, his tenure has seen tax increases, which has fueled inflation.
The protests returned the following year, when thousands marched to commemorate the massacre in June 2025, and snowballed after the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody, sparking public anger over police brutality and the government’s response.
These violations left more than 60 people dead and more than 500 injured, according to rights groups and media reports.
What’s happening this year?
On June 21, the victims of the protests, including the families of those killed by the police, gathered at the Nairobi Baptist Church, asking the government to listen to the citizens.
“We stand with every Kenyan who continues to carry the pain and memories of that dark period in our country,” said Chris Kinyanjui, the secretary general of the National Council of Churches of Kenya, in a statement after the memorial service.
Jackie Makena, a theologian of the Methodist Church in Kenya, told the gathering that “Kenya is standing in court”.
“The blood of the youth is crying from the ground. The voices of those lost in the Gen Z protests of 2024 and 2025 are joining our streets,” he said.
Trouble has been brewing in Nairobi for some time. Ruto’s government has introduced a new Finance Act, 2026, which introduced a growth-promoting, investment-friendly law to boost the economy, and which Ruto said is shifting from austere investment to business support and entrepreneurship.
He called the opposition to the bill “propaganda”.
Speaking at a state ceremony in Nairobi on June 19, the President asked Kenyans not to protest on Thursday, saying they should go about their daily business and focus on productivity and economic growth.
“One thing that will not happen is that people will gather to destroy property or cause chaos or disorder. Children will go to school because it is their right to go to school, workers will go to work because that is how we develop the produce of our country,” he said.
The main opposition, Siaya County Governor James Orengo, called on Kenyans to participate in the commemorations, including a visit to government buildings in Nairobi and outbreaks across the country.
“For those who can’t join the march, stand in solidarity by staying at home… the silence of our empty streets will be a testimony against violence,” he wrote on X. “We will not forget, and we will not back down. See you on June 25th!”
Will the victims of the protests be vindicated?
Last week, President Ruto announced a fund of about $15m to pay 1,100 victims of violent protests between 2017 and 2025, and was recognized by rights groups.
He said the payment would be an “acknowledgement that an injury occurred”, but stopped short of apologizing.
“They are hiding the crimes they have committed. They only want us to shut them up because of the money they give us – peanuts,” said Gillian Munyao, whose son, Rex Masai, 29, was among the first people killed in the June 2024 protests.
“I don’t see justice anywhere… why pay us without giving the culprit?” Munyao told AFP at a court in Nairobi last week, as the murder trial continued.
Only three cases from the 2024 protest deaths, and one from 2025, have come to court, and no police officer has been found guilty.
International rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reported that many government opponents were kidnapped again in 2024 and 2025, and many were never seen again.
In May 2025, Mr Ruto said there was “an answer” to be looked at. But many, including the former attorney general, say he was responsible for the kidnappings, and there is no evidence that they are investigating.
