Musician Daddy Owen has called for concerted action to address the growing trend by a section of Gen Zs who have pre-written their eulogies ahead of the Wednesday protest to commemorate the death of at least 60 people from the 2024 demonstrations.
In a statement on Tuesday, June 24, 2024, Daddy Owen observed that the matter should not be taken casually, noting that it should worry the nation that several young people have nothing to lose.
“The fact that so many young people are posting their eulogies and farewell videos shows they feel they have nothing to lose,” Owen said.
“This should deeply worry the entire nation, even beyond tomorrow. Don’t take it lightly.”
Worrying trend
TikTok is overflowing with videos of young Kenyans dramatically mimicking final messages, sharing funeral wishes, and even pre-recording tributes—all wrapped in humour that hardly masks the underlying fear and frustration. What started out as a small joke among a few Gen Z users has now grown into a full-blown digital wave.
Users record themselves saying things like, “Please play my favourite song at the funeral if I die in protests,” or “Make sure my crush knows I liked them,” in the trending videos. Some go a step further and list the colour of their casket or name the person they do not want to sit near their grave.
Despite its humorous undertones, the satirical trend is a powerful reflection of the nation’s growing emotional temperature.
2024 memories
With memories of last year’s June 25 protests—where several young demonstrators were killed or injured by police—still fresh, the trend is being interpreted as a blend of defiance, fear, and a call for accountability.
Some users have even gone ahead to screenshot their mobile money transactions to funeral homes, joking that they are “paying in advance, just in case.”
The trend comes in the wake of a growing concern on police brutality, extra-judicial killings and abductions in the country.
A police service, which appears to be enjoying the backing of the state, is at the centre of the protest following its handling of the 2024 protest, where at least 60 youth were killed and hundreds maimed.
