While military jets streaked across the sky and dignitaries gathered at Nyayo Stadium to celebrate Kenya’s 62nd Jamhuri Day, a different kind of assembly took place in the shadow of the August 7th Memorial Park. Here, there were no flags waving—only the raised portraits of sons and daughters lost to police bullets during the Gen Z uprisings of 2024 and the anniversary clashes of 2025.

For these families, the promise of Jamhuri—freedom—remains a hollow echo. Over 18 months have passed since the anti-Finance Bill protests reshaped the nation's political landscape, yet the families of the fallen argue that independence is unfulfilled as long as those who pulled the triggers walk free. Their message to the government today was stark and unified: justice is not for sale.

A Year of Silence and Stalled Justice

The coalition of victims' families, led by vocal matriarchs like Gillian Munyao—whose son Rex Masai became a symbol of the 2024 struggle—issued a fresh ultimatum to the state. Despite a recent admission of "police failures" by Inspector General Kanja in November, actual accountability remains scarce. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has been criticized for a sluggish pace, with families noting that of the over 60 deaths documented by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) in 2024 alone, convictions are virtually non-existent.

"We are told to wait for task forces and compensation frameworks," said a representative for the families, addressing the somber crowd. "But you cannot compensate a mother for a life stolen by the state. We do not want your money if it comes without handcuffs for the killers."

The Demands: Accountability Before Reparations

The families presented a specific set of demands, rejecting the government's recent overtures for a blanket compensation package. Their manifesto, delivered as the President addressed the nation, outlines a non-negotiable path forward:

• Prosecution of Commanders: Immediate arrest of officers identified by witnesses and civil society investigations, including those with command responsibility during the 'Bloody Tuesday' of June 25, 2024.
• A Public Apology: A formal, state-issued apology acknowledging the "massacre" of unarmed youth, rather than the current narrative of "regrettable accidents."
• The Victim Protection Fund: The operationalization of a fund that covers medical bills for the hundreds still living with life-altering injuries, without requiring them to sign away their right to sue.
• Release of the Missing: A full accounting of the dozens of youth who remain unaccounted for, with rights groups like Amnesty Kenya estimating over 50 enforced disappearances remain unresolved.

The Cost of Impunity

The delay in justice has economic ripples that touch every Kenyan. Civil society groups warn that the continued lack of police accountability erodes public trust, destabilizing the business environment and inflating the cost of security. When the state cannot be trusted to protect life, the social contract—the very essence of Jamhuri—is broken.

Reports indicate that some families have been offered settlements ranging from KES 1 million to KES 5 million to withdraw complaints, a move described by human rights defenders as "silence money." The families' refusal to accept these payouts today signals a shift in the Kenyan psyche: a refusal to monetize grief at the expense of justice.

As the sun set on Jamhuri Day, the contrast was unavoidable. In the stadium, the anthem played for the republic; in the streets, the silence played for the lost. "They think we will tire," one father remarked, clutching a candle. "But we are the new struggle for independence. And we are just getting started."