A section of Kenyans is gearing up for a major wave of protests since President William Ruto formed his broad-based government, days after demonstrators majorly made up of youths commonly referred to as Gen Zs, stormed Parliament.
The planned demonstrations on Monday, December 30, 2024, come amid the spate of abductions in the nation which continues to heap public uproar.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) in a statement on December 26 said that since June when the Anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests rocked the country, 29 people have been reported missing in suspected abductions.
Further, the commission said that so far, there are 13 abduction cases that have been reported in the last three months bringing the total to 82 cases since June.
This has prompted condemnation and sparked outrage among Kenyans, including political leaders, religious figures, civil society groups, and various institutions.
Plans for the fresh protests by Gen Zs, outlined in banners and notices circulating online, reveal intentions to occupy major cities and towns across the country, including Nairobi,
Under the rallying call of “End of Year Freedom Party”, the protesters are gearing up for another round of protests in their continued push for reforms in the country as they demand that the government puts an end to the abductions and ensure that all youths reported as missing are released.
Gen Zs announce protests
Moreover, Kenyans are using the hashtag #EndAbductionsKE to push the announcement online.
“We’ll be out there waving Kenyan flags, singing songs of freedom, and reminding everyone that this country belongs to all of us. It’s going to be peaceful & vibrant,” reads a part of a notice circulating online.
Since the Gen Zs began protests in June, the country has witnessed some major changes from the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024 to re-organization of political formations and the reconstitution of the Cabinet.
Also Read: Details of Ruto’s Phone Call with Anthony Blinken Over Youth Protests
The planned demonstrations are set to be the first mega protests since Ruto formed the broad-based government by bringing in key figures from the opposition to when he reconstituted his Cabinet.
On December 27, activities in Embu Town were paralyzed after protests by a section of residents who took to the streets demanding the release of social media influencer Billy Mwangi who was allegedly abducted.
Billy went missing on the afternoon of Saturday, December 21, after being forcibly taken from a barbershop in Embu town.
Witnesses reported that four masked and armed men alleged to be police officers abducted him, bundling him into a double-cabin pickup truck before speeding off towards the Embu-Nairobi Highway.
Reports further suggested that the influencer may have been abducted by the alleged officers due to a social media post that some considered inappropriate.
Following the disappearance, residents of Embu on Friday took to the streets in solidarity with the social media influencer and his parents.
Photos seen by The Kenya Times showed residents holding placards, while others set tyres on fire along the road, blocking sections of the street and bringing businesses to a standstill.
Protests erupt in Embu town
Traffic flow along the Embu -Kiritiri road was also disrupted by the irate residents.
Elsewhere in Mwingi North, residents of Kalamba Muyo area of Mumoni Ward have threatened to hold demonstrations demanding that the government releases Mt Kenya University (MKU) journalism student Bernard Kavuli who has been missing.
The alleged abduction of Kavuli in Ngong town was captured in a CCTV footage which revealed how the 24-year-old was on his way to his sister’s shop when four armed men in a white Probox vehicle forcefully captured him at a petrol station within the town.
Also Read: Road Blocked, Tyres Lit as Protests Erupt Over Alleged Abduction of Influencer
His abduction came following a recent post made on his X platform in which he criticized the government while highlighting issues related to the 2007 postelection violence.
Residents of Bernard’s rural home of Kalamba Muyto on Saturday, December 28 demanded for the release of the university student failure to which they said transport and business operations in the area will be brought to a standstill.
Ruto breaks silence
Following the rising spate of abductions in the nation, President William Ruto finally broke his silence on December 27 amid public uproar.
He further urged parents to lead from the front in mentoring and protecting their children to uphold peace in the nation.
“We all want to walk together. I want to urge all parents that our children are a blessing from God, and you should take care of them and the government will do our part,” noted Ruto.
“And what has been said… abduction matters. We will stop. So that Kenyan youth can live in peace and have discipline so that we build Kenya together.”
On his part, Kenya’s African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson candidate Raila Odinga urged Ruto to address the matter with haste and bring those held culpable to book.
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