Most parts of Kenya remained calm during the first anniversary of the Gen Z protests, ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga has said, despite widespread fears that the commemorations could trigger fresh unrest across the country.
He said most Kenyans had heeded calls to maintain peace and order while exercising their democratic right to hold peaceful protests in honour of those who died during last year’s Gen Z demonstrations.
Dr Oburu, while addressing a press conference in Kisumu on Friday, said demonstrations were peaceful in some areas, while business continued as usual in many major towns and counties.
He criticised sections of the media, accusing them of focusing on isolated incidents in Nairobi instead of providing what he described as a balanced picture of events across the country.
“The reporting concentrated on Nairobi, just a small area of Nairobi. We should have looked at Kenya as a whole and reported what was happening in Eldoret, Kisumu, Mombasa and other major centres,” he said.
Dr Oburu said many Kenyans had chosen not to take part in the protests, either because they responded to calls for restraint or feared disruptions that did not materialise.
“The calm was not an accident. It was a deliberate choice,” he said, adding that it reflected political maturity and a commitment to peace and national stability.
He thanked ODM supporters for what he described as their discipline in avoiding “uncoordinated street actions”, saying the party remained united and strategically focused.
The ODM leader also defended the government’s compensation programme for victims of previous anti-government protests, describing the payments as a recognition of the suffering experienced by affected families.
He urged victims to accept the compensation, saying no amount of money could replace a lost life, but the payments represented an important gesture of acknowledgement.
“There is no amount of money which can compensate human life. Whatever is given is just a token to say sorry to the families,” he said.
On the party’s political future, Dr Oburu confirmed that ODM was in discussions under the broad based arrangement with the government and expected to formalise coalition plans ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He said coalition negotiations were ongoing but had not reached a stage where details could be made public, adding that the party expected to conclude its political arrangements before the end of the year.
Dr Oburu also called on Siaya Governor James Orengo to improve service delivery in the county and work closely with the national government to address challenges facing residents, including healthcare, roads and water services.
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