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On 25 June 2025, business in the streets of Nairobi CBD and some other parts of the country halted, as Gen Z once more took to the pavements on the anniversary of the tragic 2024 Occupy Parliament protests, in which over 61 lives were lost.
What began as a response to the Finance Bill has since ballooned into a wider protest for justice and accountability, and this year, the youth-led movement found its beating heart in social media.
Digital preparation: Eulogies, starter packs and self‑portraits
In the days leading to the protest, platforms like TikTok and X became canvases for a new wave of digital resistance. Creators documented their preparations with creativity and dark humour.
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One of the most chilling trends saw young Kenyans recording meticulously crafted eulogies. Influencer David Wachira better known as JNationist took his audience through a chilling portrait series:
If we never come back tomorrow,let it be known that we died with purpose in our hearts and our voices in the streets.We didn’t die because we were silent,we died because we dared to speak.
And if speaking costs our lives,so be it. Let our name be a cry that lives beyond us.This is for a country that kills its children for dreaming.For daring to hope.For raising their fists instead of their hands in surrender.
READ ALSO: LSK, Red Cross, KNH & more: Emergency numbers every Kenyan needs during protests
Not far behind in creativity was Karl Mbugua, whose approach to protest prep came with a twist of humour. In a tongue-in-cheek vlog, he shared how he slept, prepared for the upcoming maandamano, staging a literal bedroll rehearsal.
He went on to show off a humorous 'starter pack' with essentials: water bottles, face mask and other essentials.
Skits, satire and social commentary
The influence of TikTok and X was also apparent in satirical skits that dissected the complex dynamics of protest. Hillarious Aura offered a comedic take on recent police behaviour during demonstrations.
In one skit, he portrayed officers swaggering through protest scenes laptops in hand, seemingly oblivious to the chaos.
Viewers quickly recognised it as a playful yet pointed jab at the recent Albert Ojwang protests, where officers were spotted making away with equipment amid unrest.