Makueni County Senator Dan Maanzo and Murang’a County Senator Joe Nyutu have faulted the government’s handling of the 2024 Gen Z protests, arguing that a delayed response to public concerns contributed to the deaths witnessed during the demonstrations.
Speaking during a local television interview on Thursday, June 25, 2026, the two senators maintained that the government should have acted earlier to address grievances raised by young Kenyans before the protests escalated.
Senator Nyutu questioned the use of force by security agencies during the demonstrations, noting that many protesters were unarmed and exercising their constitutional rights.
“Why do the police shoot people, open fire on people? Like in 2024 and 2025, only armed with a flag or soda? Why would they do that?” Nyutu posed.
The Murang’a lawmaker acknowledged that President William Ruto eventually declined to assent to the Finance Bill 2024 following widespread public opposition, but argued that the decision came too late to prevent the loss of lives.
“In 2024, when Ruto heard the voice of the people and refused to assent to the Finance Bill 2024, it is important we say that listening is not enough. We must listen at the right time,” Nyutu said.
“We cannot tend to listen when lives have been lost already. The president ought to have listened earlier. This would have saved the lives we lost in 2024.”
Nyutu further alleged that some young people were later picked from their homes and killed, calling for continued investigations and accountability.
Maanzo echoed Nyutu’s sentiments, arguing that the events of June 25 would remain a significant chapter in Kenya’s history because of the lives lost during the protests.
“And June 25 is going to be an annual event for so many years to come. You cannot kill 65 people in a day for no apparent reason,” Maanzo said.
The Makueni senator maintained that the demonstrations were largely peaceful and accused the government of overreacting to opposition against the Finance Bill 2024.
“Those days, demos were so peaceful, and the government was just scared of its own reason, like deleting some sections in the Finance Bill. There was a lot of fraud and blackmail by the government in that Finance Bill 2024,” he stated.
Maanzo also referenced the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang, arguing that compensation should not replace accountability and justice.
“You cannot arrest Albert Ojwang and come and kill him at Central Police Station in Nairobi and come out to tell us that life should go on as normal, then the father of Ojwang should accept money and move on,” he said.
The two lawmakers called on the country to learn lessons from the Gen Z protests, insisting that leaders must engage citizens promptly whenever concerns are raised to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Their remarks came as Kenyans marked the second anniversary of the June 25, 2024 protests with renewed calls for justice, accountability, and compensation for victims and their families.
