People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has hailed the June 25 Gen Z memorial procession as a success, saying participants peacefully exercised their constitutional right to mourn victims of the 2024 anti-government protests despite security challenges.
In a statement posted on her X account on June 25, 2026, Karua said the march was held to honour young Kenyans who lost their lives and to support families still seeking justice.
“We marched peacefully to honour the memory of the young Kenyans we lost and to stand with their families in their pursuit of justice, despite constant threats and attempts to disperse us,” she said.
Karua argued that the concerns that drove thousands of young people to the streets in 2024 remain unresolved.
“The issues that brought young people to the streets on June 25th, 2024 remain with us today: unemployment, corruption, overtaxation, and a government that does not care to listen,” she stated.
In a video accompanying the post, Karua said the procession brought together bereaved families, human rights defenders and political leaders determined to commemorate victims of police brutality.
“I think today was successful. Together with the parents and relatives of the victims, human rights activists and other leaders, we have asserted our right to public procession,” she said.
Karua revealed that organizers deliberately avoided Nairobi’s Central Business District to minimize the risk of disruptions and protect businesses.
She said the route had been communicated to police in advance and was intended to end at Parliament, where participants planned to lay wreaths.
Although security officers prevented the group from accessing Parliament Road directly, she said the memorial objective was still achieved.
“While they did not allow us to go to the junction of Uhuru Highway and Parliament Road, we were still able to lay the wreaths on the fence of Parliament. Mission accomplished,” Karua said.
She concluded by reaffirming solidarity with victims’ families and calling on Kenyans to continue pushing for the reforms many protesters had demanded.
“Aluta continua,” she declared.
