With only hours left before the planned protests, Catholic bishops led by Nyeri Archbishop Antony Muheria have released a statement ahead of the highly anticipated events scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, 2025.
Addressing the press on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, Archbishop Muheria emphasised that the young people preparing to take to the streets need to be heard and supported, not suppressed.
“Gen Z deserves listening and support, not suppression,” Archbishop Muheria said.
He recalled the events of the 2024 protests, where youth demonstrated against high taxation and limited opportunities.
Their actions, he noted, reflected frustrations shared by many Kenyans.
Unfortunately, those protests later escalated into violence, marked by the excessive use of force by state agencies, resulting in the loss of many young lives.
Muheria strongly criticised the government for creating an atmosphere of fear, abducting and killing youths who are simply exercising their rights. He condemned these actions, saying they have left families grieving and in pain.
He reminded the government that its primary role is to protect its citizens, not to intimidate or silence them. He warned that any society that instills fear in its youth is straying from justice, insisting that young people are not enemies of the state but citizens with legitimate concerns.
“You cannot rule by instilling fear in the youth by killing and abducting them. Our young people are not the enemy of the state!” Muheria added.
Police and goon collision
He also expressed disappointment over the presence of hired goons during previous protests, some of whom were seen walking alongside police officers.
He urged that such incidents should not be repeated during Wednesday’s demonstrations.
“We call on security agents to make sure we do not have a repeat of the protected goons who brought violence to the recent protests. How can goons work together with the police? We demand justice for all those murdered and all those shot, and the conviction of all the perpetrators,” he stated.
On behalf of fellow bishops, Muheria called on the youth to exercise their rights peacefully and within the confines of the law.
“As bishops, we appeal to the youths to exercise their rights peacefully and within the law,” he concluded.
