Religious Leaders Hold a Memorial Service to Honor Victims of 2024 Gen Z Protests
Photo Courtesy: Simon Maina/AFP Via Getty Images
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 22 – Religious leaders drawn from the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) together with Evangelical Alliance of Kenya(EAK) on Sunday June 22 2026 held an Interdenominational Memorial Service in memory of the Kenyans who were killed during the GenZ-led demonstrations in June 2024.
The memorial service, held at Nairobi Baptist Church on Ngong Road, brought together clergy, families of victims and members of the public to remember those who lost their lives during the demonstrations.
They read out the names and immortalized the 60 victims who were identified, even as Kenya remembers the many other Kenyans who were never identified, those whose deaths were not documented and others who are still recorded as missing.
“Today, we stand in solidarity with these families; we stand in solidarity with every young person whose dreams were cut short; we stand with every Kenyan who continues to carry the pain and memories of that dark season in our nation”, they said.
“We honor the lives that were lost and affirm the God given dignity and worth of every Kenyan, Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
They call upon all Kenyans, and especially the government officials, to listen to the voices of the citizens, always remembering that Article 1 of the Constitution declares that all sovereignty belongs to the people and not to the government.
The families of the 60 Kenyans we have memorialized today, and all other fellow citizens who have lost their lives in the hands of the security agencies, require more than prayers or money.
In addition they reiterated that every individual who caused an unjust death of a Kenyan must be given an opportunity to take responsibility for their action for real redemption of our nation to happen.
“We therefore call for thorough, impartial, and transparent accountability processes to ensure that those responsible for unlawful acts are held accountable under the law”.
Further, they welcomed the proposed restorative justice under which persons affected during protests will receive financial compensation.
They encouraged all persons who qualify to engage with the relevant authorities so that they receive the requisite compensation.
Subsequently, they remind the nation that restorative justice must never be used to cover up the need for retributive justice, Kenyans have a right to know the truth of who did what during those unfortunate moments.
“On our part as the citizens of Kenya, let us all recognize that our voices matter, and we must all express our concerns and recommendations for justice, opportunity, accountability and a better future”.
“We must not surrender to despair, violence, or manipulation. Instead, we must remain engaged, peaceful, responsible and hopeful. But in all our engagements, let us remain peaceful. Let us avoid unnecessarily provoking one another to bitterness and violence”.
They further call on all places of worship to open their doors on Thursday June 25, 2026 so that Kenyans can use them as safe places to memorialize the loved ones that died in 2024 and other cases of demonstrations.
“We urge all security officers to exercise restraint and provide security to all persons without shedding blood”.
