During the 62nd Madaraka Day Celebrations held at Raila Odinga Stadium in Homa Bay, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga made a strong appeal to the government, asking that families affected by the deaths and injuries of Kenyan youth during the 2024 anti-tax protests be compensated.
Odinga called on President William Ruto’s administration to take responsibility and help these families find closure and healing. He said the move would be a meaningful step towards peace and unity in the country, especially after the pain caused by the deadly protests.
According to Odinga, the apologies given by the President and other leaders during the National Prayer Breakfast were a good start, but they are not enough.
He stressed that the process of healing the country must go beyond words.Odinga pointed out that many families lost their children, while others were left nursing serious injuries. He said that these are not just statistics, but real people who deserve justice and support.
“It is wonderful as a first step to reconciliation. But then there are people who were injured and others died. I want to say that we should do compensation to families of those who died and those injured so that we can have closure to this chapter of our national history,” he said.
Odinga added that true peace can only be achieved if there is fairness and accountability. He reminded the crowd that the country’s journey since independence has been shaped by the spirit of unity, and it is important for the leadership to keep that spirit alive for the future of the nation.
He urged those in power not to forget the sacrifices made by citizens, especially the youth, who were simply fighting for a fairer system.
On his part, President Ruto admitted that mistakes may have been made and expressed regret to the youth. He said the country is on a path of rebuilding and he wants to create a better relationship between the government and the young people.
“To our children, if there is any misstep, we apologise. We want to build a relationship that will make our country great,” Ruto said.
However, while the apology was appreciated by some, many have raised concerns that nothing has been done to address the unresolved assault cases from the protests. Victims are still waiting for justice, and families continue to struggle with trauma, medical bills, and unanswered questions.
The 2024 anti-tax protests left deep scars, and many feel that healing cannot happen without action. Odinga’s call for compensation reflects the pain still being felt across the country.
For many Kenyans, especially the affected families, financial support and public acknowledgment of the harm caused would be an important step toward rebuilding trust.
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