The leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Raila Odinga, has praised President William Ruto for saying sorry to the younger generation, known as Gen Z. He also asked the government to help those who were hurt during the anti-government protests in 2023 and 2024.
During the Madaraka Day celebrations at Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay County on Sunday, June 1, 2025, Raila spoke about the importance of helping the families affected by the protests.
“I saw that during a recent prayer breakfast, the Speaker and President Ruto made apologies, which is a good first step toward making things right,” Raila said.
He continued, “But we also need to remember the people who got hurt and those who died. We should provide compensation to help bring closure to this part of our history.”
Raila believes that true healing cannot happen without recognising what went wrong in the past, even after President Ruto’s apology.
“I want to emphasise that we must compensate the families of those who died and those who were hurt. We want all Kenyans to live together in peace and unity,” Raila said.
The protests in 2023 and 2024 started because of the rising cost of living, higher taxes, and demands for fair elections.
The 2023 protests were led by Raila and other leaders, while the 2024 protests saw many young people, or Gen Z, protesting against the new finance law.
Unfortunately, the protests faced strong police actions, which human rights organisations reported involved unfair arrests and the excessive use of force.
Raila stressed that the protesters were not criminals; they were regular people asking for changes in their country.
“Two years ago, we were in the streets, and just a year ago, the Gen Zs were also protesting,” he said.
