Human rights activist and presidential hopeful Boniface Mwangi has issued a stark warning: the fury that drove Generation Z onto Kenya’s streets two years ago has not gone anywhere. Speaking on Spice FM on June 26, 2026, Mwangi argued that the root causes of the 2024 protests — a punishing cost of living, poor governance, runaway corruption, and deep economic hardship — remain as raw today as they were when young Kenyans first flooded the streets.
The government’s handling of the June 25 anniversary demonstrations, he said, betrayed its own unease about the public mood. Despite officially treating the day as an ordinary working day, authorities deployed heavy police contingents, erected traffic barricades, and imposed movement restrictions in various areas. For Mwangi, those measures spoke louder than any official statement — proof that those in power know very well that the anger, in his own words, “is still there.”
Beyond the security clampdown, Mwangi noted that ordinary Kenyans have quietly designated June 25 as an unofficial day of remembrance for those who lost their lives during the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations. He reserved sharp criticism for a political class he accused of remaining thoroughly disconnected from the everyday struggles of citizens while continuing to enjoy the full benefits of public office.
Mwangi also moved to put to rest longstanding claims that his activism is financially motivated. Pointing to more than two decades of human rights work, he rejected the accusation outright, insisting that money has never been the driver behind his campaigns. He urged Kenyans not to let legitimate frustration tip over into violence, calling instead for that energy to be channelled into deliberate political engagement.
Looking ahead to next year’s general election, the activist identified ethnic divisions as one of the gravest obstacles standing in the way of meaningful reform. He cautioned that unless Kenyans actively resist being pulled apart along tribal lines, the hard-won momentum generated by the protest movement risks being thrown away at the ballot box.
On the commemoration itself, Mwangi delivered a measured but critical assessment. While conceding that the anniversary events achieved some degree of success, he condemned police conduct during the demonstrations and described the arrest of 355 protesters as a straightforward violation of constitutional rights.
Most damning of all, he called out the government’s failure to honour promises of compensation made to victims of the 2024 crackdown. Two years on, those pledges remain unfulfilled — and for Mwangi, that broken commitment encapsulates the broader failure of leadership that first pushed young Kenyans onto the streets and continues to simmer beneath the surface today.
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