Kenya Youth Protests 2025, Gen Z Demands Justice & Reform

Tear gas has filled the streets of Nairobi and the sounds of gunfire have echoed through the capital as Kenyan youth once again take to the streets in what has become a defining moment for the nation’s younger generation. One year after the deadly “RejectFinanceBill” protests that claimed the lives of at least sixty demonstrators, thousands of Gen Z protesters returned to the streets on Tuesday, June 25, demanding urgent economic reforms and an end to government corruption. What began as a remembrance march has erupted into a powerful movement for justice.

As protestors gathered near Parliament and the Central Police Station in Nairobi’s CBD, police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and, according to multiple eyewitness reports, live ammunition. Yet the crowds, undeterred, remained. Chanting “Ruto Must Go” and “We are the change,” they held their ground, honoring the memory of those who lost their lives last year and refusing to accept silence as an option.

Today’s demonstration marks exactly one year since the finance bill protests of 2024, when young Kenyans, frustrated by rising taxes and dwindling economic opportunities, stormed Parliament in a desperate plea for change. That movement ended in bloodshed, with dozens dead and many more injured. The trauma of that day still lingers, but it has not broken the spirit of those who believe in a better Kenya. Instead, it has fueled an awakening.

Across social media, the message is clear: all eyes on Kenya. Young people are risking their lives to demand a future. In one image that has already gone viral, a protester walks through a haze of tear gas, arms raised in defiance, his shirt stained with blood. In another, students link arms as they march down Kenyatta Avenue, singing the national anthem while bullets fly overhead.

Critics accuse the government of doing little to address the concerns that sparked last year’s unrest. With inflation still rising, youth unemployment at crisis levels, and a widening gap between the elite and everyday citizens, many feel the promises of reform have been nothing more than political lip service.

Today’s protests have become a symbol not only of resistance but of remembrance. It is a memorial to the lives lost and a wake-up call to the leadership of Kenya and beyond. Across Africa, young people are watching and many are relating.

This movement is deeply human. It is not driven by politics alone, but by heartbreak, hope, and a collective refusal to surrender. The youth of Kenya are standing in the face of fear, knowing full well that history may repeat itself. And still, they come unarmed, unbowed, and united.

Kenya’s youth are not backing down. They are demanding to be heard. They are fighting for their future. And they are reminding the world that courage, in its purest form, looks like standing tall when it would be easier to run.

Africa must stand with them.