Siaya Governor James Orengo has said no justice has been served to families who lost their loved ones during the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
Orengo stated that if the government was acting in good faith, police officers allegedly involved in the killings would already have faced legal action.
He further argued that the reported KSh2 billion compensation by the government is not enough.
Speaking after laying flowers at the grave of Rex Masai, a Gen Z protester killed during the demonstrations, Orengo insisted that compensation should not become a routine gesture while families continue to suffer emotional pain and trauma.
The governor added that he, alongside other leaders including Kalonzo Musyoka, is ready to work together in fighting for justice for Gen Z youth, especially as the country prepares to mark one year since the June 2024 protests next month.
On politics, Orengo said he only recognizes the ODM faction associated with the “Linda Mwananchi” movement, dismissing the “Linda Ground” faction as a joke and a fake ODM group allegedly working for President William Ruto.
He said his visit to Rex Masai’s family marks the beginning of a tour to visit every family that lost a loved one during the Gen Z protests. He also accused President Ruto of benefiting from taxpayers’ money instead of prioritizing compensation for affected families.
Rex Masai’s father, Chris Odawa, said the families would not accept compensation if the government continues killing young people, urging authorities to fulfill promises made to Kenyans instead of violently confronting protesters.
Meanwhile, Caroline Mutisya, the mother of another Gen Z protest victim, Erickson Mutisya, said she does not know whether the affected families will ever get justice.
Orengo’s visit comes just one week before the “Linda Mwananchi” movement begins its tour in Machakos County.
