The ghosts of the 2024 anti-government protests are back to haunt the nation, and this time, the cries for justice are louder, angrier — and impossible to ignore.

Despite repeated pledges from the political elite, the victims of police brutality continue to suffer in silence, their pain weaponized in speeches but forgotten in policy. Kenyans are now asking: How many more must die before action replaces empty words?

At the heart of the storm is former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Speaking on Madaraka Day at the Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay, Odinga threw down the gauntlet, demanding that President William Ruto’s government compensate those injured or killed during last year’s demonstrations.

“This chapter in our national story will not close until victims are acknowledged and their families compensated,” Raila declared — a fiery call for justice met with cautious applause and skeptical stares.

Yet, the nation remembers: this isn’t the first time promises have been made. And it likely won’t be the last.

Blood in the Streets, Silence in the Corridors of Power

The 2024 protests were meant to be peaceful. What followed was anything but.

According to Amnesty International Kenya’s latest report, at least 65 people were killed, 89 abducted, and thousands unlawfully detained. The National Police Service is accused of unleashing a reign of terror: shootings, beatings, arbitrary arrests, and what human rights defenders call “a chilling descent into authoritarianism.”

Even online spaces weren’t safe. Dissenters were tracked, silenced, disappeared — all while the state turned a blind eye.

Lip Service or Justice?

Raila’s acceptance of Ruto’s recent apology to the youth left many uneasy. “Too little, too late,” critics whispered. Opposition leaders like Kalonzo Musyoka and Eugene Wamalwa are demanding more than just words.

“We can’t talk about amnesty until we know who murdered Rex Masai,” Wamalwa thundered, referring to a young protester from Machakos who was gunned down in cold blood. His death — one of the most harrowing — remains unresolved.

Musyoka pressed further: “Where is the redress? Why has no one paid for these atrocities?”

ODM’s Red Line: No Talks Without Compensation

In an explosive statement, ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna drew a line in the sand: No national dialogue without justice. Compensation for victims and prosecution of those responsible are now non-negotiable terms.

A joint resolution by ODM’s Parliamentary Group and National Executive Committee earlier this year had already listed victim compensation as a key precondition for political talks with the government. So far, no plan has been rolled out. Not even a framework. Just… silence.

Public Trust at Rock Bottom

Irene Ndung’u of the Institute for Security Studies paints a grim picture of the police force: riddled with corruption, drunk on impunity, and feared by the very citizens it’s sworn to protect.

But she says there’s still a flicker of hope.

“Reforms are inching forward,” she notes. “The goal is to transform the force into a service — one that’s accountable, professional, and rights-respecting.”

A tall order — and for many Kenyans, it can’t come fast enough.

Senate Demands Action

In July 2024, amid nationwide protests, the Senate passed a powerful motion calling for the government to apologize and pay all victims of police violence linked to demonstrations in 2023 and 2024.

Senators also urged the NPS to grant amnesty to peaceful protesters, recognize all deaths caused by police, and help rebuild what remains of public trust.

The Country Watches and Waits

The clock is ticking. The victims — some buried, some still in hospital beds, others scarred for life — are watching. Their families are waiting. Kenyans are fed up with empty promises and tired of leaders who speak justice but serve silence.

How long will the cries echo before they’re heard?

And when will Kenya finally say: Enough is enough?