Nairobi, Kenya – June 25, 2024, is a date many families now mark in silence. What began as youth-led protests against the Finance Bill escalated into nationwide demonstrations, with protesters entering Parliament grounds. In the violence that followed, people were killed and others went missing.

The Human Rights Watch World Report 2026 stated that 26 people linked to the 2024 anti-finance bill protests and 15 linked to 2025 demonstrations remain missing. On Tuesday, families of the killed, alongside civil society groups, held a memorial march in Nairobi calling for accountability and police reform.

James Otieno, father of Denzel Omondi who went missing after the protests, said no one has been held accountable. Denzel was among 62 people killed during the 2024 protests, according to official and rights group tallies.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) said only three of the 62 deaths have reached court. 46 cases remain under investigation. IPOA Vice Chairperson Anne Wanjiku Mwangi stated that case progress depends on evidence sufficiency and prosecutorial review.

Susan Wangari Wanjohi has been searching for her son Emmanuel Kamau Mukuria for two years. He disappeared on June 25, 2024, after being arrested by police. “There is no prison I have not visited in this country while looking for my child,” she said.

The government has begun a compensation program for victims of human rights violations linked to protests between 2013 and 2025. The first phase allocates $3.46 million for 348 verified victims, with families of the 115 killed receiving $23,148 each.

However, families have criticized the program, saying financial compensation does not address accountability. “Even if you gave me 20 million, it won’t be enough compensation for the life of my son. What we want is accountability,” said James Otieno.

Source: www.aljazeera.com