When Kenya’s Gen Z came out onto the streets of Nairobi, they hoped the government would listen to them. Instead, the police responded with tear gas, water cannon and live ammunition which resulted in the deaths of 39 demonstrators.
The initial outrage was sparked by a piece of legislation known as the Finance Bill 2024, that sought to raise taxes on several basic goods. Many Kenyans say daily life is already unaffordable. The perception was that the government was forcing the young and poor to bear the brunt of the country’s debt crisis, after years of financial mismanagement and spending that only benefits those in power.
Activist Boniface Mwangi was among the protesters, as bullets rang out and the scale of the crackdown by security forces became apparent. Mwangi’s nickname online is the ‘People’s Watchman’ because he strives to get justice for people whose plight would otherwise go ignored. Now, he’s seeking justice and accountability for the families of the victims who were gunned down while demanding dignity.
This is the story of how Kenya’s youth fought and won, but at an immense human toll of dozens of lives.
Credits
Director: Tierney Bonini
Senior Producer: Tierney Bonini
Local Producer: George Kihara
Writer: Antonia Perello
Cinematographer: Joe Mwihia
Editor: Antonia Perello
Sound Mixer: Yago Cordero Domenech
Senior Editor: Donald Cameron
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