By James Murimi - Reporter
Kenya, 25 June 2026 - As thousands of Kenyans on Thursday marked the first anniversary of the June 25, 2024 anti-government demonstrations that culminated in the storming of Parliament and left scores dead, injured and missing, President William Ruto spent the day inspecting a major government infrastructure project in Nairobi.
The Head of State visited the ongoing construction of the Bomas International Convention Complex (BICC), expressing satisfaction with the progress made and directing officials to address key bottlenecks to ensure its timely completion.
"Pleased by the steady and sure progress being made in the construction of the Bomas International Conference Centre (BICC)," President Ruto said after touring the site.
The President said he chaired a meeting aimed at accelerating implementation of the project, including ensuring adequate and reliable power infrastructure to support the facility.
According to the President, the conference complex will strengthen Nairobi's position as a leading conferencing and events destination in East and Central Africa, enhancing Kenya's capacity to host major regional and international gatherings.
He added that the facility would help grow tourism numbers to more than five million visitors annually and generate over Sh1 trillion in tourism earnings by 2028.
But even as the President highlighted his administration's development agenda, families of those killed during last year's protests gathered to remember their loved ones and renew demands for justice.
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Among them was Jecinta Anyango, the mother of 12-year-old Kennedy Onyango, who broke down as she appealed directly to President Ruto to ensure those responsible for the deaths are held accountable.
"Please Mr President, all we are requesting is justice," she said.
"By the time he was shot dead, Kennedy was only 12 years old. If it was the other way round and my son had wronged the government, action would have been taken immediately. But when we ask that the police officers who killed our children be brought to book, nothing is forthcoming."
Her remarks captured the mood among many families who spent the day mourning relatives lost during the demonstrations while questioning the pace of investigations and prosecutions linked to the deaths.
The commemorations were held in various parts of the country amid renewed calls from victims' families, civil society groups and human rights organisations for accountability over the killings that shocked the nation and triggered one of the most consequential political moments in recent Kenyan history.
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