Many brave young people gathered at the Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi on Monday, July 7, 2025, despite heavy police roadblocks and barriers in the city.
They came together during nationwide protests known as Saba Saba, calling for the ODM leader to speak to them.
Even with police officers and roadblocks trying to stop them, the protesters pushed their way in. One of them said, “The rain will not stop us from demonstrating. We must show our anger against this government.”
This feeling showed that the young people were united and strong, standing together for economic justice. At Kamukunji, they chanted slogans and danced to keep warm, creating a lively and determined crowd.
Another young person added, “We must demonstrate against this regime,” which became a common chant as they moved past each roadblock.
Kamukunji became a symbol of this youth-led movement, with many calling out that they wanted the ODM leader to speak to them.
“He must address us,” they shouted repeatedly as they continued to push forward despite the police presence.
These young people saw Saba Saba not just as a day to remember but as a way to continue their fight for their rights, focusing on issues like high living costs, increasing taxes, and poor governance.
They believed that their bold actions at Kamukunji marked a new direction for youth activism: strong, united, and determined to engage directly with their political leaders.
On Sunday, July 6, 2025, Raila Odinga announced he would attend the Saba Saba rally at Kamukunji the next day.
He said this return to Kamukunji was meant to honor those who lost their lives during the first Saba Saba protests 35 years ago.
“I will be attending the Saba Saba at Kamukunji to remember those who were killed,” Raila stated.
This announcement showed a big change from Raila’s earlier stance. He had been mostly absent from the current protests led by younger people, saying before that while he wouldn’t take part in their street protests, he supported their demands for more power and accountability.
