Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu has criticised Kenya’s Gen Z protesters for what she described as chaotic and intimidating behaviour during Wednesday’s memorial demonstrations held on June 25, 2025. The protests were meant to honour young Kenyans who lost their lives during the 2024 anti-tax protests, but Nyamu says the events spiralled into violence and disorder.
Taking to Instagram a day after the demonstrations, Nyamu expressed disappointment in the youth-led protests. “I expected a day to honour the victims of last year’s protests, but it turned into chaos and intimidation,” she wrote. She accused the protesters of losing sight of the solemn nature of the occasion, turning what should have been a peaceful tribute into a platform for unrest.
Nyamu questioned the motive and organisation behind the protests, suggesting that some of the demonstrators may have been manipulated by hidden political interests. “Did you even have a plan?” she asked. “It felt like many were protesting for the first time, without a clear goal. Was someone else pulling the strings?”
She also raised concerns about property damage, particularly in businesses allegedly targeted in Kikuyu-dominated areas. “Many of the businesses that suffered belong to hardworking Kikuyus. Where is the so-called spokesperson for the community now?” she posed, calling on leaders who claim to represent the Kikuyu community to condemn the violence.
Nyamu went on to warn young people against aligning themselves with political leaders she described as “toxic” and desperate for power. Citing a personal anecdote, she likened such leaders to an ex-partner who once told her, “If I can’t have you, no one else will.”
“There are leaders today whose ambition has turned toxic. They have lost everything, including their conscience,” she said. “If they can’t lead Kenya, they’d rather see the country burn.”
Despite Nyamu’s criticism, thousands of young Kenyans in Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Nakuru, and Kisii peacefully demanded justice for last year’s victims and called for greater police accountability, transparency, and governance reforms—highlighting their continued commitment to civic activism.
