Justice for our Mashujaa: Parents of Gen Z anti-finance Bill protest victims petition state over killings
Munyao, the mother of 19-year-old Rex Masai, who was fatally shot on Moi Avenue during the protests, is spearheading the petition, which has already amassed over 1,000 verified signatures.
Families of youth protestors killed during the June 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations have launched a nationwide petition calling for the prosecution of police officers involved in the killings, as well as state compensation for affected families.
Gathering at the Kenya National Theatre’s Ukumbi Mdogo on Sunday, the bereaved parents, led by Gillian Munyao, popularly known as Mama Rex, shared harrowing accounts of their loss and demanded accountability from the government.
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Munyao, the mother of 19-year-old Rex Masai, who was fatally shot on Moi Avenue during the protests, is spearheading the petition, which has already amassed over 1,000 verified signatures.
“You left me with no last words, but only receiving a call and finding you lifeless,” Munyao said in an emotional address.
“I know you told God in the process after that policeman shot you and watched you die slowly, blood draining out of you.”
Masai has since become a powerful symbol of youth-led resistance and the violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators who took to the streets to oppose the Finance Bill 2024 and raise concerns over poor governance.
The petition directly accuses security agencies of perpetrating and covering up state-sanctioned violence.
“Our children were exercising their constitutional right to protest and deliver petitions to public officers to challenge poor governance. They were murdered in cold blood, many of them shot in the back while fleeing. Some were shot in the head to illustrate police's intent was to kill, not to apprehend the protestors,” reads part of the petition.
Brutality
It further outlines a series of brutalities, including abductions, torture and disappearances allegedly carried out by state agents.
“Extrajudicial killings did not stop there; many others have since been abducted and tortured, with some lucky ones found alive, but maimed. Many bodies showed up in dams, dumpsites, and morgues. Many still remain unaccounted for, following forced disappearances by State agents,” reads the petition.
The families are now demanding immediate action from President William Ruto and Parliament, urging the state to arrest and prosecute police officers and their commanders who orchestrated or executed the killings. They also want the government to compensate families of those murdered, injured, or whose property was destroyed during the protests.
In addition, the petition calls for the prosecution of individuals who incited or sponsored the destruction of public property, as well as criminal elements that infiltrated the otherwise peaceful demonstrations.
The parents are also pushing for the launch of a public inquiry to allow Kenyans to express their grievances and begin healing from the trauma. They further demand the provision of psychosocial support through the government’s universal healthcare programme to assist those affected by the violence.
The petition is scheduled to be presented to the Office of the President and the National Assembly on June 25, 2025, marking exactly one year since the killings that rocked Nairobi’s central business district and the precincts of Parliament.
“Together, we request President William Ruto to reaffirm Kenya’s commitment to the rule of law, accountability for murderers and justice for the many victims of extrajudicial killings. We, the mothers, fathers, siblings, relatives, friends and Kenyans of goodwill shall present all the signatures collected... to mark one year since the senseless killing of our children,” reads the petition.
Using the hashtag #Justice4OurMashujaa, the grieving parents have called on Kenyans, Africans and the international community to join their push for justice, accountability and healing.
Last Week, a BBC Africa Eye documentary shed new light on the deadly anti-tax protests, revealing harrowing footage of uniformed officers, including members of the police and military, allegedly shooting at peaceful demonstrators outside the Kenyan Parliament.
The documentary, which revisits the Finance Bill protests that turned bloody, identified some of the security officers believed to have fired live ammunition at unarmed protestors. At least three people were captured on camera being shot or appearing to be shot during the violent crackdown.
According to the BBC’s findings, both the National Police Service and the Kenya Defence Forces were involved in the response to the protests. In several clips aired in the exposé, officers were seen aiming and allegedly discharging firearms directly at fleeing demonstrators.
The documentary has intensified public outrage and renewed calls for accountability from the government and security agencies over the killings that occurred during the demos.
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