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Embakasi East MP Babu Owino drew massive cheers from crowds as he joined Gen Z protesters in the heart of Nairobi’s Central Business District on June 25, 2025. The MP was seen being hoisted by demonstrators, a gesture that reflected growing public admiration for leaders visibly supporting the youth-led movement. His appearance added momentum to the anniversary protests, which commemorate the June 25, 2024 demonstrations against the controversial Finance Bill—a movement that tragically resulted in the deaths of over 60 young Kenyans.
Babu Owino had earlier voiced unwavering solidarity with the youth, urging them to persist in their struggle for justice, accountability, and economic fairness. “What I will tell my Gen-Z brothers and sisters is to fight on, soldier on. It is not over until it is over,” he said in a video message that quickly went viral. The legislator declared his full backing for the protesters, stating he stood with them “at 101 per cent,” calling their movement a powerful symbol of civic courage.
The Nairobi demonstrations prompted a heavy police response, with key routes leading to Parliament sealed off in an attempt to prevent access. Despite heightened security and warnings from the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, protesters took to the streets in large numbers.
The scene mirrored last year’s unprecedented breach of Parliament, when demonstrators stormed the National Assembly, forcing a national reckoning on governance and police brutality. As businesses in the CBD shuttered in anticipation of unrest, the presence of leaders like Babu Owino provided both political weight and reassurance to a generation demanding to be heard.