From left: King Kaka, Octopizzo, Bien-Aime Baraza and Ziya Africa.
Two years after Gen Z protests shook the country, Thursday's anniversary became less about remembrance than a lingering question: What changed?
For entertainers and Kenyan celebrities who stood alongside protesters, the memories remain vivid.
In interviews with Nation Lifestyle, musicians King Kaka, Bien, Bensoul, Octopizzo and content creator Ziya Africa reflected on where they were during the June 25, 2024, protests, what they witnessed, and what Thursday's anniversary meant.
Kenyan rapper and businessman King Kaka.
Rapper King Kaka
“I heard the gunshots. There were so many people in Parliament [when protestors stormed into Parliament buildings], and it was happening right in front of us, literally. When the gunshots intensified, I had to exit. But we were there from the beginning, in the city, protesting.”
According to the artist, the June 25, 2024, demonstrations represented a bigger cry from citizens seeking accountability from leaders.
“What I could just see in people's eyes was just a wider outcry of how we can be safe with the people we've entrusted leadership with. Most times, it's when children talk to you that you need to listen. There was one message written across people's faces: How can we trust you? Because even though we discovered the Finance Bill by accident,” he said.
Many young Kenyans may not have taken to the streets yesterday, but they ensured the anniversary was impossible to ignore. Social media buzzed with tributes, memories and renewed calls for justice.
“Yesterday I was not in Nairobi since I was working on something. But I posted. It was a collaborative video just telling people to equip themselves now with their voter cards. Because that's one way of just putting your voice out there.”
“That's the only way I could protest. The country is ours."
King Kaka also remembered the emotional online tributes shared during the 2024 protests.
“I remember guys started posting like obituaries. 'And if I die, this is how I want my obituary to look like.' And that was the most patriotic and intense and sad thing I ever saw online. Even parents were praying for their kids. They were saying, 'I hereby protect you when you go. Come back in peace. And if you don't come back…. parents understood that even without talking to their kids, they are still going on the front line.”
The rapper noted that the demonstrations affected all Kenyans, including entertainers.
"Celebrity or not, even us, we were the front line that particular day. Let's see what we can do for our country. Because if there's no peace, there's no gigs.”
Bien-Aime Baraza during a past live performance at Blankets and Wine event in Nairobi.
Musician Bien
Singer Bien used the anniversary to renew calls for justice for families who lost loved ones during the demonstrations.
“There can be no financial reparation without justice to the families of the bereaved. There is no amount of money placed in the name of justice. We want justice and consequences.”
Asked what justice would look like, Bien emphasised accountability.
“We want to see those policemen brought to book. We want whoever gave the order [order to shoot and kill] to be tried. And possibly also the resignation of the ones who gave the order.”
Reflecting on June 25, 2024, Bien said the protests revealed the collective power of ordinary citizens.
"I have hope that when we decide to do something as a people, we can actually do it. We have great energy, but we just sometimes don't channel it in the right direction. So I really hope that we understand our power. We are powerful beyond measure. That day, we understood our power.”
The singer, who is in Tanzania on a work trip, also praised the younger generation that has continued to lead civic engagement.
“My fellow Gen Zs, I love you guys, man. You are our future.”
Kenyan artiste Bensoul during a live performance at KICC in Nairobi on March 30, 2025.
Singer Bensoul
Singer Bensoul said the nation continues to carry the pain of the lives lost during the demonstrations.
“We are still mourning, and through the demonstrations [yesterday’s], we are still remembering the young people that we have lost,” he said.
“It is still emotional. I was not on the ground because I had other engagements.”
Recalling his experience during the protests in 2024, Bensoul said, “I have many memories from June 25, 2024, but the craziest one is me seeing the police officers shooting just in front of me. But the fun ones are when we would throw back the teargas canisters."
The artiste said the events strengthened his resolve as both a Kenyan and a creative.
“As a Kenyan, we are still fighting, and the fight continues until the enemy is out.”
He also encouraged young protesters to remain united, “Stay together. Strong, strong.”
Kenyan rapper Octopizzo performs during the Shujaaz Memorial concert at Uhuru Park in Nairobi on July 7, 2024.
Rapper Octopizzo
Rapper Octopizzo described June 25, 2024, as both a painful and inspiring moment in Kenya's history, saying the day revealed the power of unity among young people despite the tragedy that unfolded.
"It is a bittersweet memory for some of us because we lost some of our friends on that day, but it was also a day that I saw young people coming out and working together regardless of their class, background or tribe. It remains a beautiful day.”
The rapper said he hoped the government would formally acknowledge the significance of the day and create space for collective mourning.
“I wish the government would recognise that it was a tragic day and just give people a day to mourn. It is unnecessary to have chaos as it happened.”
Octopizzo also noted that many of the concerns that drove young people to the streets in 2024 remain unresolved.
“Even now, the Finance Bill that was recently passed is close to what young people were demonstrating about.”
According to the artiste, the emotional impact of the events continues to linger for many Kenyans.
"I feel like there was a cold war; people are still very broken internally from that day."
As a musician and public figure, he emphasised the responsibility artistes have to speak about issues affecting ordinary citizens.
"As an artiste, I think it is very important to speak about the things that affect normal people because when we are not artistes, we are somebody's son and my siblings are still struggling the same."
"I might look successful as an artiste, but if the governance is wrong, I will still be affected."
Octopizzo said he spent part of yesterday’s anniversary in Kibra, where residents gathered to commemorate those who lost their lives, including activist Rex Masai.
"I went to Kibra, then went back home. The people were peacefully doing their commemorations and remembering someone like Rex Masai, who came from Kibra. It was really a dark day for the people of Kibra."
Content creator Ziya Africa (formerly Mike Muchiri).
Ziya Africa
Content creator Ziya Africa (formerly Mike Muchiri) says the events leading up to the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests showed that Kenyans are deeply invested in the country's future.
When he joined conversations around the proposed tax measures and the rising cost of living, he did not expect such a strong response.
“When I started, it was just about informing and educating people and telling people, ‘this is why you should care,” he recalls. ‘This is why you should exercise your civic responsibility because if you don't exercise it, it affects you nonetheless.”’
Then his content started attracting many viewers.
“People would ask, ‘now that you've told us about the Finance Bill, now that we know about public debt and corruption, what can we do? What can I do as a Kenyan? What can I do as a citizen?’"
The June 25 protests would become a defining moment not only for him but for an entire generation.
Looking back to the day, he said, “I remember the courage and the bravery of so many young people who, regardless of the fear and uncertainty, still showed up on the streets."
He also remembers those who never went back home.
“I think about the lives that were lost, the families that lost their loved ones and the families that were forever changed.”
For Ziya, the demonstrations represented something larger than opposition to a Finance Bill.
“It was a time when the mind of the nation changed,” he says. “Civic participation started being viewed differently.”
That awakening, he believes, continues to shape Kenya's political landscape two years later.
“June 25, 2024, was not the end of the story,” he says. “It was the beginning of a generation that became politically conscious. We are at the cusp of what was and what could be," he says. "We are trying to change the political narrative that has existed for a long time.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Rajula
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