The government has dismissed calls by opposition leaders to have June 25 declared a public holiday to honour Gen Z protesters who lost their lives during the 2024 anti-government demonstrations.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka have asked Kenyans to boycott work on that day, as they seek to force a holiday to commemorate the young people killed during the June 25, 2024, protests.
However, government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has confirmed that June 25 will not be a public holiday and urged Kenyans to go about their economic activities as usual.
Speaking on Tuesday night during the 'Sema na Spox' forum, Mwaura termed the calls by leaders to have the day as a holiday as divisive and should be ignored.
“We have heard people say June 25 will be a public holiday. There is no public holiday on June 25. It is a working day if it falls on a weekday," Mwaura said.
According to Mwaura, having the day as a holiday will be tantamount to celebrating a tragedy, a tool he alleges opposition leaders want to use to settle political scores.
“Whatever people are trying to do is to recreate the Gen Z movement. We want to tell them that that is a thing of the past. We must move forward,'' Mwaura said.
Kalonzo has been on the frontline in these calls as he described June 25 as a true liberation day to fight injustice, reject abductions, condemn looting of Kenya's resources, and end the impoverishment of the Kenyan people.
"I want to make a serious proposal—to honour the young Kenyans who died, many of them on June 25, which I call J25. If it meets the approval of young Kenyans, we will declare it a public holiday," Kalonzo said.
On June 25, Kenya witnessed a dramatic escalation of the Gen Z protests, which had been building momentum against the Finance Bill 2024. Thousands of youths stormed Parliament, where MPs were debating the bill, leading to violent clashes with security forces.
The protests, initially peaceful, turned tragic when police reportedly fired live ammunition at demonstrators. At least 60 people lost their lives, with many more injured or arbitrarily detained.
The youth managed to breach Parliament buildings, setting part of the building on fire and forcing MPs to scamper for safety. The protests were fueled by frustration over high taxes, graft, and economic hardship. Its intensity ultimately forced President William Ruto to withdraw the bill.
