Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga broke his silence with a chilling demand: justice and compensation for the families of Kenyans killed or maimed during the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
“We cannot move on while blood still stains our streets,” Odinga declared at the Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay County, during Kenya’s 62nd Madaraka Day observance. His words pierced the air like thunder, referencing the nationwide demonstrations led by Kenya’s Gen Z, which were met with brutal crackdowns.
While acknowledging efforts toward national healing—such as the recent public apologies from President William Ruto and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula at the National Prayer Breakfast—Odinga said these words rang hollow without action.
“Yes, there were apologies. But what about the lives lost? The shattered families? The wounded youth still recovering in silence?” Odinga questioned, his voice firm, unwavering. “Let us not bury the pain under polite gestures.”
A National Wound Left Festering
President Ruto, speaking days earlier at the Safari Park Hotel, had called for unity and even offered a symbolic apology, saying, “If there has been any misstep, we apologize to our children.”
But civil society leaders have rejected the gesture, calling it cosmetic. Human rights organizations accuse the government of avoiding accountability for the violent police response that left over 60 Kenyans dead and more than 200 injured.
According to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), only two of those fatal cases have reached the courts. The rest remain buried in bureaucratic limbo, files gathering dust at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
With the one-year anniversary of the tragic June 25 protests approaching, families of more than 25 victims are preparing to storm Parliament—this time with a petition demanding not just compensation, but justice.
Connecting the Past to the Present
Odinga painted a haunting parallel between Kenya’s struggle for independence and the current state of governance, warning that the founding dream of a just and united nation is slipping away.
“Madaraka was supposed to be about freedom, dignity, and self-rule,” he said. “But what freedom is there when young Kenyans are killed for speaking up? What justice is this when their blood is ignored?”
He reminded the nation of the powerful promise in Kenya’s National Anthem: “Justice be our shield and defender.” Then asked—who is shielding the families mourning their sons and daughters today?
Rallying Cry for Devolution and Equity
Turning his gaze to governance, Odinga praised the impact of devolution in counties like Homa Bay but condemned any attempt to revive what he termed “colonial-era provincial administration.”
“Kenya is not a colony anymore. We must empower counties, not suffocate them,” he said, urging President Ruto to allocate Sh450 billion to counties as previously agreed.
He called on Parliament to step up, warning that empty promises won’t fix roads, stock clinics, or build the unity Kenya desperately needs.
The Kenya We Deserve
Odinga’s message was clear and electrifying: the Kenya of the founding fathers is still unfinished. Peace is not silence. Unity is not forced forgetting. And justice must mean more than words whispered at prayer breakfasts.
“We must honor the dead by correcting the living. Gen Z spoke. Kenya must listen.”
As the country marked another year of self-rule, Odinga’s dramatic plea cast a long shadow over the celebrations—demanding not just reflection, but reckoning.
