The Coalition of Victims and Survivors Against State Violence has announced plans to hold weekly vigils and demonstrations every Sunday across the country in memory of Kenyans who were killed, injured, abducted or tortured during the June 2024 protests.
The coalition said the demonstrations will serve as a reminder of what it termed as state brutality against citizens who were exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest.
“Mourning, commemoration and organizing for all events leading up to June 25th memorial in honour of our Mashujaa, the Gen-Z murdered by the state, continues and we encourage all Kenyans of goodwill to organize in solidarity with this national holiday,” said Bernard Kavuli, an abduction survivor.
In a strongly worded statement, the group rejected president William Ruto’s apology over the incidents, saying the Head of State and his administration do not deserve praise for what it described as a forced apology coming two years after the violations occurred.
“In the spirit of cooperation and to provide adequate times for the victims to have their concerns answered, and the government to not only finalize the compensation process but also immediately provide clarity on the accountability process, we shall suspend the nationwide protests that were scheduled to commence today over delayed compensation, while awaiting answers, prior to taking back to the streets,” added Kavuli.
According to the coalition, no apology can erase the pain, trauma and loss suffered by families whose loved ones were killed, maimed, tortured or disappeared during the protests.
“No apology can erase the bloodshed, trauma and pain inflicted upon families whose only crime was exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest. Apology not accepted,” another victim, Joshua Okayo said.
The coalition accused the government of presiding over abductions, torture, killings and other human rights violations during the protests, insisting that affected families are still waiting for justice, accountability and full recognition of their suffering.
The announcement comes a day after the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights handed over to president Ruto a framework report on compensation for victims of human rights violations.
The report is expected to guide the process of reparations for victims and families affected by state violence, including those who suffered during protests and other security operations.
However, the victims’ coalition said compensation alone cannot substitute justice. It argued that the government must go beyond apologies and financial reparations by holding individual officers and senior officials responsible for the violations to account.
“For nearly two years, the Kenya Kwanza regime shamelessly denied these atrocities while victims and their families cried for justice. Today’s admission is not an act of courage or goodwill. It is an admission forced by overwhelming public pressure, relentless advocacy by victims and survivors,” Okayo said.
The group said the planned Sunday vigils will be peaceful and will continue until victims and survivors receive what it called genuine justice.
The 2024 protests were marked by deadly confrontations between demonstrators and security officers, with human rights groups accusing police of excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests, abductions and intimidation of protesters.
Families of victims have continued to demand answers, especially in cases where protesters disappeared or were killed during the demonstrations.
The coalition said the weekly vigils will create a national platform for survivors, families and rights defenders to honour the victims and maintain pressure on the state to act.
The renewed push by victims and survivors now places president Ruto’s administration under fresh scrutiny, even as the government moves to establish a compensation framework for those affected by past human rights abuses.
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