Activists are pushing for the construction of a monument in central Nairobi to honor anti-government protestors who lost their lives after police opened fire during demonstrations.
The group, led by social media commentator Fanya Mambo Kinuthia, argue that the monument will stand as a permanent reminder of the brutality unleashed on young people who dared to raise their voices, take to the streets, defend democracy, and fight for a better future, only to be met with batons, rungus, and deadly bullets.
They insist that the sacrifices of these youths should not fade into silence, especially after the bloodshed witnessed both this year and last year.
“Our pain has often found expression only in mourning, not in building. This is therefore a call to all youth to embrace the idea that we can do something together, something historic, something that will show the nation that we are capable of honouring those we lose in battle with dignity and permanence and something that will forever be a constant reminder of the atrocities meted on the Genzs on streets,” noted Kinuthia.
He said the monument would preserve the memories of all those who lost their lives, especially since not everyone can visit their graves.
“This year people went and laid wreaths on various graves of our departed brothers and sisters, and I don’t want to imagine we can sustain that tempo of going back every other year to lay wreaths. But if we put up a monument in Nairobi and inscribe their names and photos, then we can have some place to go and honour our brothers. And the ideal location is in the central business district of Nairobi,” Kinuthia said.
The activist argued that the government’s plan to compensate families of victims should be matched with the unveiling of a statue, just like the monuments erected for national heroes Dedan Kimathi and Tom Mboya.
“It only makes sense to have the Genzs murdered during their fight for good governance and accountability recognised like Mboya or Kimathi. We need a monument; a replica of the 1998 bomb blast victims where up to date thousands of Kenyans, including their families, go there to remember their loved ones. The statue also serves as a constant reminder of the dark day when terrorists visited immeasurable pain on our land,” Kinuthia noted.
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