What started as a call for justice and accountability turned into a deadly confrontation. Instead of listening to the demands of the youth, the government responded with bullets.
In cities across the country, from Nairobi to Kisumu, Mombasa to Eldoret, peaceful protestors most of them young, barely in their twenties were gunned down in broad daylight.
Their only crime was raising their voices against an unfair system.In poorer neighbourhoods like Kayole and Mathare, residents speak of terrifying night raids. People say police stormed homes in the dark, dragging out young men.
By morning, bodies were found on the streets. Families are still mourning. In some cases, university students simply vanished after being picked up. Online activists also came under attack.
They were tracked using digital tools, some arrested, others threatened into silence.A Nairobi-based analyst described the situation bluntly, saying this was not just law enforcement but political warfare. He explained that the killings did not happen by mistake.
They were planned actions, meant to crush the voice of a rising generation. Among those killed was Albert Ojwang, an activist remembered by many as fearless and committed to justice. His death shook the protest movement. Yet no officer has been held responsible. His killers walk free, while his family lives with pain and unanswered questions.
Now, one year later, nothing has changed. Investigations have gone nowhere. Parliament has not addressed the killings. Meanwhile, state-controlled media continues to label the victims as criminals, calling them looters and lawbreakers. Civil society groups have condemned this as false and dangerous.
They say such stories are meant to protect those in power and justify murder. Some analysts are raising the alarm. They say Kenya is heading down a dangerous path, similar to what happened in Nigeria and Hong Kong. In both countries, crackdowns on youthful protests led to serious long-term damage brain drain, broken trust in government, and deep political wounds. Kenya is already showing signs of this. Reports show more and more skilled young people are leaving the country.
They feel unsafe, unheard, and hopeless. Many say the events around the June 25 protests were the turning point. It was the day they gave up on the system, the day they decided that change was impossible from within.
The pain of that day still lingers. Until justice is done and accountability is served, the country risks losing not just its youth, but its future.
