{"id":115875,"date":"2025-06-01T09:03:23","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T09:03:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/06\/01\/maraga-says-youth-have-nothing-to-celebrate-as-he-declares-solemn-month-of-reflection-over-protest-deaths\/"},"modified":"2025-06-01T09:03:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T09:03:23","slug":"maraga-says-youth-have-nothing-to-celebrate-as-he-declares-solemn-month-of-reflection-over-protest-deaths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/maraga-says-youth-have-nothing-to-celebrate-as-he-declares-solemn-month-of-reflection-over-protest-deaths\/","title":{"rendered":"Maraga says youth have nothing to celebrate as he declares \u2018solemn month of reflection\u2019 over protest deaths"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 1 \u2013 Former Chief Justice David Maraga has said there is nothing for Kenyan youth to celebrate as the country commemorates its 62nd Madaraka Day, citing widespread disillusionment, police brutality, and deepening socio-economic inequalities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a strongly worded statement released Sunday, Maraga said the spirit of Madaraka \u2014 which symbolizes Kenya\u2019s internal self-rule and the freedom to shape its own destiny \u2014 has been betrayed, particularly for the younger generation.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, we begin a solemn month of reflection in memory of the lives of more than 60 young people killed in June 2024,\u201d Maraga, who is eyeing the presidency in 2027, said referring to the deadly crackdown on youth-led protests last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a month to stand in solidarity with those injured and abducted. It is a month to comfort the families of those who lost their loved ones to police brutality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maraga criticized the government\u2019s heavy-handed response to youthful dissent, saying the very freedoms the youth were fighting for \u2014 freedom of expression, accountability, and inclusive governance \u2014 are being violently suppressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cMadaraka Day is about internal self-governance and the freedom to run our country. These are the freedoms that young people were seeking. Instead, they were killed, abducted, and some have disappeared without a trace,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He cited the recent abduction of Rose Njeri \u2014 who had reportedly developed a digital platform allowing citizens to air their views on the controversial Finance Bill 2025 \u2014 as an example of state repression against innovation and civic engagement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis completely negates the spirit of Madaraka,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Increased marginalization <\/h2>\n

According to Maraga, the country\u2019s youth continue to suffer from high unemployment, limited livelihood opportunities, and increasing marginalization, while a small political elite continues to enjoy unchecked privilege.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is, therefore, nothing for the young people of Kenya to celebrate. Youth unemployment is still soaring, livelihood opportunities keep shrinking, while a minority of the political elite live in opulence, straddling the young majority into servitude,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis government has indeed lost the moral and legitimate basis of governing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maraga declared his support for the Gen Z-led social movement, which has branded June as \u201cGen Z Revolution Month,\u201d calling for a national awakening to return to the ideals of the 2010 Constitution.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to rejuvenate the true spirit of Madaraka. To this end, I will walk with Gen Z during this solemn Gen Z Revolution Month and beyond, in their activities and plans as they seek to reset, restore, and rebuild Kenya,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet us use this month to chart a path back to the aspirations of our 2010 Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Madaraka Day, first celebrated on June 1, 1963, marks the day Kenya attained internal self-rule from British colonial rule.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s celebrations come at a time of growing public frustration over governance, accountability, and the cost of living.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 1 \u2013 Former Chief Justice David Maraga has said there is nothing for Kenyan youth to celebrate as the country commemorates its 62nd Madaraka Day, citing widespread disillusionment, police brutality, and deepening socio-economic inequalities. In a strongly worded statement released Sunday, Maraga said the spirit of Madaraka \u2014 which symbolizes Kenya\u2019s internal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115875"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115875\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}