Evans Mwangi is one of several young Kenyans still missing since anti-government demonstrations shook the country in June and July 2024. His story captures the lingering pain that haunts many families – a reminder that while the protests transformed Kenya’s political landscape, they also left deep scars.
Every morning, Mama Evans places a plastic chair outside her mabati house in Kayole and waits. It’s the same spot where her 22-year-old son, Evans used to sit before he vanished during last year’s protests driven by Gen Z (generation of people born between 1997 - 2012).
"One year. No answers. No body. Just silence," she says, gripping a worn photograph of him in a graduation gown. "If he’s gone, let them give me his body. I just want to bury my son."
The 2024 finance bill was the spark that set off what was already an explosive social situation.
It proposed sweeping tax hikes on essential goods and digital services burdens falling squarely on a young population already grappling with unemployment and rising living costs.
'Fearless'
By June 2024, thousands of young Kenyans, many in their early 20s, had taken to the streets, organised not by political parties or unions, but by spontaneous online coordination, carried by hashtags and influencers.
"Gen Z did what older generations feared: they called out the system with no apologies," Dr. Samora Mwaura, a youth policy expert based in Nairobi tells RFI.
"They were the heartbeat of a new kind of politics: raw, informed, and fearless."
The protests quickly spread from Nairobi to Kisumu, Eldoret, Mombasa, and Nakuru. But what began as peaceful marches soon turned deadly.
A trail of trauma
In Mathare, Kevin Otieno is learning to walk again. A year ago, the 25-year-old boda boda (motorcycle taxi) rider was caught in police crossfire on his way to make a delivery.
"They shot me in the leg. I wasn’t even part of the protest that day," he says, lifting his jeans to show the metal brace screwed into his thigh. "Since then, I’ve lost my job, my independence, and my peace."
Kevin’s story is echoed in hospitals, homes, and informal settlements across the country.
According to local human rights groups, at least 39 protesters were killed, hundreds injured, and scores went missing during the police crackdown.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights called for investigations, but prosecutions have been slow or nonexistent.
"We’ve documented arbitrary arrests, disappearances, and excessive force," says Mary Wanjiku, a legal officer. "Yet accountability remains elusive."
Kenya protests reignited by custody death, but ‘Gen Z' movement remains divided
From protests to political power
Despite the pain, the protests ignited something lasting. For the first time in decades, youth particularly Gen Z became a decisive force in shaping national discourse.
Their activism led to the recall of several tax proposals and forced President William Ruto’s administration into dialogue.
Politicians, once dismissive of social media activism, began hosting X (formerly Twitter) Spaces and TikTok forums to engage young voters.
"Something shifted," explains Lydia Wanjiru, a professor at the University of Nairobi. "Gen Z became both a moral and political voice. They know their power now and the country knows it too."
Grassroots movements born in the protests have since evolved into civic tech platforms, voter registration drives, and online watchdog groups. A year later, Gen Z’s presence remains visible not just in protests, but in policy.
Can Kenyan youth protests spark real police reform one year on?
Cry for justice
Yet for families like Mama Evans', the political wins offer little comfort.
"People move on. But for me, every day is July 2024," she says, brushing a tear from her cheek. Her home is now a shrine of sorts Evans’ clothes folded neatly, his phone untouched, his slippers by the door.
Authorities initially promised DNA testing of unclaimed bodies at City Mortuary. She submitted samples. Months passed. Still nothing.
"Just tell me the truth. I can take it," she whispers. "This waiting is the hardest part."
Then, after a pause, her voice hardens: "For years we’ve cried for justice and they’ve given us more coffins."
What Next?
As Kenya marks the one-year anniversary of the Gen Z uprising, the country stands at a crossroads. The youth movement has cracked open the political conversation but the state’s reluctance to deliver justice threatens to undo the trust it inspired.
"There can be no healing without accountability," says Dr. Mwaura. "Otherwise, we are just postponing the next eruption."
One year on, the fire has not gone out. Across Nairobi, Kisumu, and parts of the coast, small pockets of protests have flared again, this time against ongoing extrajudicial killings and police brutality, particularly in connection to the death of teacher Albert Ojwang in custody.
From placards to petitions, Kenya’s youth continue to demand an end to state violence.
Mama Evans agrees. But for now, her revolution is quiet, a candle burning next to Evans’ photo, a prayer whispered every night, a hope that somehow, one day, someone will knock on her gate with the truth.
