Families of youths killed during Kenya’s 2024-2025 anti-government protests on Monday, December 22, 2025, held a peaceful march to State House, Nairobi. The protest’s aim is a renewed push for justice, accountability and compensation.
The procession is mainly made up of parents, siblings and relatives of the victims, set off from Jeevanjee Gardens at around 9:00am(EAT), as earlier communicated to police.
The march is meant to secure a direct audience with President William Ruto, whom they accuse of failing to address their grievances despite repeated promises by the government.
The families say their decision to march comes after more than a year of waiting for justice, with no officer held accountable for deaths linked in the protests. According to figures cited by families, it has now been over 547 days since the death of Rex Masai, one of the earliest and most symbolic victims of the demonstrations.
The Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) report indicates that three out of every five extrajudicial killings were caused by shots fired from behind, suggesting that many victims were fleeing and unarmed when they were shot.
Beyond accountability, families are also demanding the implementation of compensation and reparations promised earlier in August 2025.
President Ruto had announced a framework to compensate victims of police violence dating back to 2017. However, relative claim that no meaningful payments or support have reached most affected families, leaving many to shoulder medical bills, funeral costs and long-term care for injured survivors.
Organizers have emphasized that today’s action is not to protest but a peaceful petition. Participants are carrying flowers and the Kenyan National flag, symbols meant to reflect mourning, dignity and a plea for recognition rather than confrontation.
In their notice to police, the families invoked Article 37 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to assemble and petition authorities peacefully. They also requested police protection, saying the march involves grieving parents and relatives, some of whom are elderly.
For the families, the timing of the march, just days before Christmas, is symbolic. Many say the festive season only deepens their pain, as they are forced to confront the absence of loved ones whose cases remain unresolved.
