Embakasi North Member of Parliament (MP) James Gakuya has issued a call for justice over the killings and injuries sustained by young Kenyans during the June 2024 Gen Z-led anti-Finance Bill protests.

While appearing on TV47’s Morning Café Show on Tuesday 3, 2025, Gakuya criticized law enforcement officers who allegedly used excessive force on protestors, calling for their immediate prosecution.

“Where are the police officers who committed crimes during the Gen Z protests?” Gakuya questioned. “If President Ruto is apologizing, these officers who killed Kenyans should be prosecuted and made to pay for their crimes.”

Gakuya further dismissed the effectiveness of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), expressing frustration at its apparent inability to bring rogue officers to justice.

He said that despite the public outcry and mounting evidence, there have been no meaningful prosecutions or disciplinary actions taken.

“Compensation cannot bring back lost Gen Z lives,” the MP lamented, noting that financial redress alone is insufficient without proper accountability.

This statement pokes holes on ODM leader Raila Odinga’s recent appeal to the government to compensate victims.

He further recommended the establishment of an independent investigative body, citing IPOA’s failure to produce results since the protests erupted in mid-June, last year.

IPOA, mandated to hold the police accountable has continued to face criticism from both the public and activists from what is seen as slow, opaque investigations into the matter.

This is despite the body acknowledging receipt of over 30 complaints linked to the protests and reportedly commencing investigations. No police officer has yet been charged or publicly disciplined in connection to the alleged abuses.

Gakuya’s comments come in the wake of a public outcry for prosecution of the rogue police officers, almost a year on.