The invasion of the Parliament during the historic youth-led anti-Finance Bill protests was one for the books. Never in the history of Kenya has any generation managed to invade the 24/7 heavily protected zone. 

What started as a TikTok movement morphed into a full-blown revolt that made #OccupyParliament a reality, one that left painful memories for some families and permanent scars for those who survived the deadly police brutality.

As Kenya commemorates one year since the protests, questions still linger: how did the invasion take place, and what really happened inside the parliament buildings? 

People Daily spoke to gunshot survivors of the deadly scene, who were at the front line of the march to parliament when chaos erupted. 

Peter Ekale, 21, who was shot on his left leg just after managing to leave Parliament Buildings, lives to tell the story. 

“On that morning, I had left Kawangware, my hood, to participate in the protests at the CBD, where everything was happening. It started as a normal, peaceful protest, but then the number of protestors started swelling with each minute. And then the protest started gaining momentum and everything started getting intense because the police could not control the large number of protesters,” states Ekale. 

He narrates that when they arrived at Uhuru Park, the roundabout area near the park was heavily guarded by the police. 

It was impossible to bypass the police, says Ekale, but due to the tensions and rage that had filled the air after the Members of Parliament (MPs)discussed and approved the ‘draconian bill,’ adrenaline was at an all-time high. 

Adrenaline was high 

“People were mad, angry, and you could feel the adrenaline in the air. Everything got intense and we decided we must enter the Parliament Buildings, right where the MPs were,” says Ekale. 

Ekale narrates that due to the large numbers, they overpowered the police and headed to the parliament barricades. 

“Everyone was stranded at the gate, and the MPs were watching us shout and chant against the Finance Bill. They didn’t think we would manage to enter their territory, they never saw it coming. But before they knew it, the gate had been removed and we were inside the Parliament grounds,” he says. 

According to him, the crowd was uncontrollable, and even if one reconsidered backing out, it was impossible to turn back. 

Once they had access to Parliament, chaos erupted, and Ekale says that was when police started firing live bullets at the protestors. 

“A young man who was right beside me was shot on the head. When we saw him fall down, that’s when the crowd charged ahead. We couldn’t understand why the police were shooting at unarmed protestors. So, we decided it will be a show of might between the police and MPs against the Gen Zs,” he says. 

Enjoyed parliament delicacies 

He further narrates that the first protestors, those on the frontline into Parliament, including him, managed to access the Parliament canteen where they even served themselves food. 

“While we were inside eating, we didn’t realise things had turned worse outside. Other protestors were struggling to get in and were being shot at. That’s when we realised we needed to get out of the building as soon as possible because the police had now resorted to shooting-to-kill and no one was spared,” he adds. 

He recounts that while he had managed to leave Parliament Buildings unhurt, he was shot on his left leg a few metres away from the City Hall Way. 

“While walking, I felt something on my leg and thought maybe it was a shock reaction because I was walking on iron sheets. But then I realised I was bleeding, and so I jumped inside a nearby restaurant for safety. Little did I know the guy who had actually shot me was inside the restaurant,” he recollects.   

Rushed to the hospital 

He then resorted to escaping to an open place where fellow protestors were, and it was then that he was rushed to an ambulance. 

Like Ekale, 24-year-old Tobias Thuo was also at the heart of the Parliament invasion. He narrates that he, alongside other protestors, started their march at Archives and then headed to Parliament Road. 

“When we got to the Parliament Buildings, the gate was being uprooted, and that’s when people started heading inside Parliament premises, right where the MPs were. The police had already opened fire, and the events that followed inside parliament were extremely traumatic. I’ve never seen someone die in my whole life. That was the first time,” he says, adding that many people were shot at, and he’s lucky he survived the ordeal. 

Scamper for safety 

Tobias says that when police opened fire on the crowds, no one could leave; they were forced to re-enter the Parliament Buildings for safety. 

“I was shot at the front area right next to my manhood, when I was heading back to Parliament to take cover. I didn’t even know I was shot. My leg just felt heavy, and it was swollen,” he says.

He narrates that the shooter had every intention to kill people, but he was lucky to survive.

Inside the Parliament, gunshots ravaged the air, and he had to scamper for safety, where he was saved by fellow youth, some of whom were also injured.   

“The next thing I remember is finding myself at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), that was where I met other wounded people who were fighting for their lives. I saw some die, while others survived, and we are still in contact as we grapple with lifetime wounds,” he says. 

Ekale describes the events of June 25, 2024, as a movie where he and other protestors were the main cast. 

“I have never seen or participated in something like that. I don’t regret walking into that Parliament on that day. The only thing I regret is that people lost their lives in the course of exercising their right to protest. Unfortunately, nobody remembers us as the parliament heroes. We call ourselves heroes because we are the only ones who witnessed and experienced what really happened in there,” he says.