Siaya Governor James Orengo was seen riding on a boda boda through Nairobi’s streets on Thursday as opposition leaders and activists joined memorial processions marking the anniversary of the June 25 Gen Z protests.
Videos and images circulating online showed Orengo being moved away by bodyguards on a motorcycle after police reportedly disrupted a procession along Uhuru Highway. The group had been marching towards Parliament Road to lay flowers in honour of those who lost their lives during the protests that shook Kenya in June 2024.
The memorial procession brought together senior opposition figures and public personalities, including James Orengo, Kalonzo Musyoka, Eugene Wamalwa, Martha Karua and former Chief Justice David Maraga. Families of victims and civil society activists also took part.
Read Also
According to participants, the group intended to hold a symbolic remembrance ceremony and place flowers near Parliament to honour those who died during the demonstrations.
“We invite all Kenyans… to march to Parliament to demand justice and lay flowers where our children’s lives were cruelly taken.”
The memorial events came amid heightened security across Nairobi. Police mounted roadblocks and restricted access into parts of the central business district as crowds attempted to gather for commemorative activities. Reports from the city indicated incidents of dispersal, arrests and movement restrictions during the day’s events.
For Orengo, the appearance at the procession followed days of public calls for Kenyans to mark June 25 as a day of remembrance for those affected by the demonstrations. The governor had earlier supported nationwide commemorations and vigils linked to the anniversary.
A day of remembrance and renewed calls for accountability
The June 25 memorial marks two years since demonstrations that began around opposition to the Finance Bill and later evolved into wider conversations around governance and accountability. Families attending Thursday’s march carried flowers, portraits and messages remembering relatives and friends lost during that period.
Human rights groups ahead of the memorial had urged authorities to facilitate peaceful gatherings and protect participants exercising their constitutional right to assemble.
