NAIROBI, Kenya – Notable opposition figures have lived up to their word after promising to join Kenyans in the streets to agitate for accountability and good governance.
They include former Chief Justice David Maraga, party leaders Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Eugene Wamalwa (DAP-K), lawmakers Okiya Omtatah (Busia Senator) and Babu Owino (MP Embakasi East).
Kalonzo and Wamalwa, who were among the first opposition leaders to arrive in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) on the morning of Wednesday, June 25, led other Kenyans in laying a wreath of flowers at the barricaded gates of Parliament.
“We remember and honour our fallen heroes today. Let justice be our shield and defender,” Kalonzo posted on his official X account after the activity.
How MP Babu Owino stormed the Nairobi CBD
Also seen in the streets were Maraga and Omtatah, who marched side by side with the youthful protestors.
As earlier reported, in a scene that blended raw emotion with political symbolism, Babu Owino joined Gen Z protestors in Nairobi’s CBD, earning cheers—and even a literal lift—from demonstrators marking the anniversary of last year’s deadly anti-Finance Bill protests.
Carried shoulder-high by chanting youths, the lawmaker punched the air in a show of solidarity, flashing a clenched fist as protesters chanted slogans around him.
The message was unmistakable: this wasn’t just about optics—it was a full-circle moment for a generation demanding accountability.
On Tuesday, June 24, Babu Owino had posted a message urging young Kenyans to “soldier on” and show up in honour of the more than 60 lives lost during the June 2024 protests.
What was the impact of the Gen Z June 2024 protests
That crackdown, which followed fierce opposition to the repealed 2024 Finance Bill, left a scar on the national psyche and gave birth to one of Kenya’s most potent youth-led movements in recent memory.
“What I will tell my Gen Z brothers and sisters is to fight on, soldier on. It is not over until it is over,” Babu said in his pre-protest video.
His voice joined a growing chorus calling the protestors “fallen soldiers”—a reference that underscores just how high the emotional and political stakes have become.
But it wasn’t just talk. Today, Babu Owino, just like his colleagues in the opposition, matched his words with action.
