Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo has challenged President William Ruto to back up his recent apology to Kenyan youth with meaningful action, urging him to pay hospital bills and compensate families affected by the 2024 Finance Bill protests. Speaking on Thursday during an interview with Citizen TV, Maanzo dismissed the president’s apology at the national prayer breakfast as insufficient to heal the wounds inflicted on young Kenyans during the demonstrations.
“The Finance Bill protests left many young people with permanent injuries; others are still missing, and many parents have buried their children,” Maanzo said. He revealed that about 600 bodies of youths linked to the protests remain at the city mortuary, while many others are admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital with serious spinal and bullet wounds. “Those are the people the president should be apologizing to,” he insisted.
Maanzo criticized President Ruto for prioritizing a tour in Homa Bay ahead of Madaraka Day celebrations over visiting the victims in Nairobi. “If I were the president, instead of going to Kisumu, I would go to Kenyatta Hospital, apologize to the Gen Z youths, settle their hospital bills, visit the City Mortuary, and mobilize the entire state machinery to assist families with missing children,” he added.
The senator also called for Ruto to meet with families of victims like Rex Masai, who were allegedly shot by police officers during the protests. “An apology must be followed by reconciliation, which includes compensating the affected families,” Maanzo emphasized.
President Ruto’s apology acknowledged a possible misstep during the protests and expressed a desire to rebuild relations with the youth. “To our children, if there is any misstep, we apologize. We want to build a relationship that will make our country great,” he said.
However, the emotional wounds remain raw, with many assault cases from the 2024 protests still unresolved. Maanzo’s call highlights the urgent need for the government to translate words into action to foster true healing and reconciliation.
