By Moses Desire Kouyo
In the heart of Nairobi on June 25, 2024, a generation’s dream for a fairer future was met with gunfire. What began as a peaceful anti-tax protest led by Kenya’s youth — the so-called “Gen Z” movement — ended in bloodshed as security forces opened fire, killing unarmed demonstrators outside the national parliament.
An investigation by BBC Africa Eye has now revealed the chilling details: members of Kenya’s police and military forces were responsible for the deaths, and they targeted protesters who posed no threat.
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The protests erupted against the government’s controversial Finance Bill, which proposed heavy new taxes on already struggling citizens. Although earlier demonstrations had successfully forced lawmakers to drop taxes on essentials like bread and sanitary towels, the final vote retained many burdensome measures aimed at raising $2.7 billion to reduce external debt.
Tens of thousands of young Kenyans flooded Nairobi’s streets, armed not with weapons but with Bluetooth speakers, flags, and painted faces. It was a carnival of defiance — the lower, middle, and working classes united against the political elite.
As MPs finalized the vote inside parliament, protesters outside faced escalating police violence: tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and then live ammunition.
By meticulously analyzing over 5,000 images and videos, BBC investigators traced the fatal shots that killed three protesters — David Chege, Ericsson Mutisya, and Eric Shieni — to members of the Kenyan security forces. Evidence shows these young men were unarmed, many with hands raised or carrying only flags when they were gunned down.
One officer, identified as John Kaboi, was caught on camera shouting “uaa!” — Swahili for “kill” — moments before fellow officers opened fire. Kaboi remains unpunished, protected by a system unwilling to hold its own to account. Despite promises from Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to investigate and publish findings, no official report has been released, and no officers have been charged.
The killings failed to intimidate the demonstrators. Instead, it galvanized them. Protesters stormed parliamentary grounds, overwhelming police defenses even as they faced more deadly force. Within minutes, however, they were repelled once again — and another young life was lost.
Eric Shieni, a 27-year-old finance student, was shot in the back of the head as he attempted to flee. Investigators linked the fatal shot to a Kenyan soldier stationed at parliament. Shieni’s crime? Believing that ordinary citizens deserve to hold their leaders accountable.
“The aim was to kill those protesters,” said Faith Odhiambo, president of the Law Society of Kenya. “You have become the judge, the jury, and the executioner.”
The Kenyan Defence Forces have since distanced themselves from the killings, claiming no formal request for investigation has been made. Meanwhile, survivors and families of the slain continue to wait for justice.
The tragic events in Nairobi are a brutal reminder that across Africa, young people demanding dignity, transparency, and economic justice still risk violent suppression. In Kenya, a nation that prides itself on its democratic constitution, the right to peaceful assembly was shredded before the world’s eyes.
But the struggle is far from over. Kenya’s Gen Z — digitally savvy, courageous, and determined
