The police officers have taken him to his offices at Mageuzi Hub where they are currently undertaking a search of the premises. The DCI have confiscated his personal phones and other electronic gadgets during this ongoing process. Boniface Mwangi is yet to be presented to any police station within or outside Nairobi up to this particular moment.

Kongamano la Mapinduzi is aware that Boniface Mwangi’s arrest is part of a larger scheme by the Kenyan state to arrest and persecute legitimate Human Rights Defenders in Kenya – and to additionally try to link them to the waves of state-instigated violence orchestrated during popular protests in June and July 2025 with an intention of painting the protests as violent. This fact is especially clear after the recent arrest and persecution of Mark Amiani, Mulungwa Garang and Mutunge Mwangi – members of the KLM Central Organising Committee – following the June 25th protests.

We at Kongamano la Mapinduzi know that the arrests, trumped-up charges and persecution of patriotic Kenyans will continue – for they are part of a wider scheme to slow down our forward march as a people. That is why we must stand firm as a progressive front, and not allow tyranny and repression to prevail.

Kongamano la Mapinduzi takes this earliest opportunity to ask all those who believe in peace, justice and dignity to extend solidarity to Boniface Mwangi and his family at this moment.

We additionally advise all KLM cadres to maintain a high level of vigilance and discipline. Comrades, be aware of your surroundings, for our shared struggle for a better Kenya needs all of us and our collective energy.

Aluta continua!

Signed,

KLM Central Committee

Kenya’s martyrs did not die in vain. The painful tears of the mothers left behind, can and will only be wiped away with justice. Not the performative justice of press statements, but a justice that cuts so deep – that Kenya, its rogue political class, and its rotten state organs like the police will never be the same again.

Statehouse is a public building, it belongs to the people, not its temporary tenants. Its true Statehouse Nairobi and all state lodges are protected areas. They are protected from anyone that might wish the office of the president harm. However, the same principle that guides the protection of Kenya as a nation, from enemies within and enemies without, must also apply in protecting Statehouse from enemies without and from enemies within. Tomorrow, the enemy within statehouse must be routed out. Statehouse is a building, not a sovereign entity in our 2010 constitution, the Kenyan people are the only sovereigns.

GenZ do not need a lesson in mobilizing numbers, enough numbers to overthrow any dictator, even Ruto. In 2024, the street protests and our collective outrage brought the masses to the doors of parliament, and parliament fell. In June 2025, we must not re-occupy territories already won, we can’t send the same message to the president, through the same deaf Parliamentarians, and expect different result. The message ‘to go’ will be delivered directly to the despot. Revolutions do not tip over in favor of the masses through timid direct actions, or through mark timing on the same victory of yester years. The status quo must be dealt a blow, that no despot can recover, not even the butcher of Sugoi.

This is also not the time for wasted energies through vertical confrontations and violence, this is the time to work across differences for one common agenda, #RutoMustGo. There will be time enough to prosecute the traitors and collaborators alongside the head of the snake. The revolution will not spare anyone, the truth is not a respecter of persons, nor does the internet forget. For now, we must #Fagiawote, beginning with emptying statehouse of its enemy within, then the rest. For the energy wasted on fighting a fellow oppressed Kenyan, though differently oppressed, can be saved up for jumping over Statehouse fence, to confront the enemy at the top of our common vertical struggle

Fear not comrades, the constitution is clear, Kenyans are guaranteed (not optional) rights and fundamental freedoms. All sovereign power belongs to the people, the people shall or may exercise that sovereign power directly or indirectly. The constitution is also very clear, what is to be done when a president goes mad and starts abducting, torturing and killing children. Kenya’s 2010 constitution is very precise, on what must be done in the case of mental incapacitation of the president, and fair elections under the hands of a mad man is no longer guaranteed, as the constitution promises.

This is the time for organized collectives (where two or three are gathered) to offer their services to the revolution, to go beyond their primary political interest, for a unified assault. What can your organized collective do to make tomorrow a success, is it your presence in the streets, medical emergency camps, legal aid, software deployment, your choice. The harvest is ready but the workers are few.

Signed,

Kongamano La Mapinduzi

23 June 2025, Nairobi – On this first anniversary month of the June 25th massacre of peacefully protesting youth by the state, Ukweli Party (UP) and Kongamano la Mapinduzi (KLM) jointly issue this statement to declare, without fear of contradiction, that the Ruto-Kindiki-UDA-Kenya Kwanza administration is a mortal danger to all of us, the people of Kenya.

We recall that in the wake of the GenZ-led #RejectFinanceBill2024 countrywide peaceful protests, president William Ruto choose tyranny, abductions and enforced disappearances, torture, murder, everyday intimidation and brutality as his administration’s official response to Kenyans’ legitimate demands for accountable governance and an end to state corruption and looting of public wealth.

It is in the public knowledge that president Ruto’s criminal response to Kenyans exercising the constitutional rights to freedom of expression, including through peaceful protest led to the extrajudicial killing of more than 60 protestors; enforced disappearance of at least 82 persons; the arbitrary arrest of 1,208 people and at least 132 cases of people who are still missing since the June 2024 protests. The bodies of some of those reported missing have been found dumped in rivers, abandoned quarries, mortuaries, and roadsides showing signs of torture – others mutilated and dismembered. Ukweli Party and Kongamano la Mapinduzi believe that these numbers could be higher given the impunity with which authorities have responded to their own unlawful activities.

This week we call on the sovereign people of Kenya to remember that these are not just numbers. Our compatriots were murdered. Some are still missing and unaccounted for. Families continue to mourn without hope for justice; and our nation bleeds as the Ruto-Kindiki presidency continues to normalize state crimes and impunity. President Ruto deployed snipers who shot unarmed and peaceful protestors. Security forces in uniform and others in plainclothes – some of who concealed their identities by wearing facemasks, balaclavas and tactical scarfs whilst moving in unmarked cars – shot live ammunition directly at protestors, emergency medical teams and even journalists.

It is in the public knowledge that the hunt for the young Kenyans who showed up for Kenya last year never stopped. Just last week, during peaceful protests to demand justice for Albert Ojwang, we witnessed on the streets of Nairobi the deployment of gangs armed by the state to suppress our constitutionally protected rights to peaceful protest and assembly. We saw officers of the Kenya Police Service working alongside, and protecting the goons as they violently attacked, robbed and harmed both protestors and passersby. We all know that the public officers involved in these acts of criminality cannot have acted without a Ruto-Kindiki approval.

That is why no one has been summoned or questioned by the now-severely discredited and partisan investigative agencies. Since last year, Ukweli Party and Kongamano La Mapinduzi have consistently joined forces with other patriotic Kenyans to demand full and expeditious accountability for the crimes committed by the Ruto administration in the context of the unlawful crackdown that has gone on since June last year. We knew then and know now that a presidency gone rogue cannot investigate itself – let alone hold itself accountable for its crimes.

Ukweli Party and Kongamano La Mapinduzi wish to state clearly that our country’s descent into governance by crime – and the abdication of governance under the Constitution and the rule of law – is not accidental. From the patterns we have observed since June 2024 until last week’s state response to peaceful protestors, we have legitimate concern that president William Ruto is priming the country for political violence and mayhem as a decoy for creating conditions where the next general elections are impossible. We believe that president Ruto is actively instigating a climate of civil strife to set the stage for the delay of the 2027 elections and therefore extend his first term to whatever lengths the cabal in power would wish. Ruto is actively setting our country onto a trajectory we might not survive or recover from if we allow him to continue.

During the deployment of anti-riot police and protected goons on the streets of Nairobi last week, many protesters witnessed the use of guns not known to be designated for members of the Kenya Police Service – including hunting shotguns and old muskets that we have never before seen in use by our security forces. From our witness on the streets and review of images appearing in news reports, these guns were in the hands of individuals whose dressing differed from the anti-riot police in their company. These individuals appeared trigger-happy, exuberant and violent even in the absence of provocation compared to those who we believe were legitimate police officers deployed on the streets. The guns that these individuals hold can not be traced back to the police force after ballistic analysis or investigations that occur after shootings, creating room for plausible deniability. Kenyans will recall that during the June 25
massacre last year, there appeared strange deployments on the streets of armed men not fitting the profile of our security forces.

We fear that there might be a third armed force – a militia recruited, armed and forcefully embedded alongside the Kenya Police and other security services to do the political bidding of president William Ruto and the cabal that is helping him repurpose the Government of Kenya and state system into a criminal enterprise.

Ukweli Party and Kongamano la Mapinduzi wish to remind Ruto and all his accomplices that when we, the sovereign people of Kenya created our Presidency as elaborately defined in our 2010 Constitution, we did not create a job for serial killers whose activities we fund from our taxes. We hoped for the presidency to be the clearest and brightest reflection of the nation we set out to become: one that is at peace with itself, one that is governed by the rule of law under our Constitution, and one where justice is the shield and defender of all sovereign citizens. The Presidency that we created for ourselves – not for politicians – is about service to the nation: not murder of the nation.

The Ruto-Kindiki presidency has failed on all counts of what we, the people, created that office for – and our collective expectations of those who should exercise its delegated authority. A failed presidency should be terminated and that is our call to the people of Kenya. We must bring to an end the criminality and national destruction that this presidency has orchestrated and continues to implement as we watch.

Our organizations and movements, Ukweli Party and Kongamano la Mapinduzi, today declare unequivocally that no accountability and justice for victims of state crimes is possible under a Ruto-Kindiki presidency. We remind the nation that while Ruto perfected his criminality over the last year – including through fake apologies and lies about accountability, more and more Kenyans continue to be killed by the state. Albert Ojwang, who was brutally killed early this month, is just one of the most recent cases. We must remember that before Albert Ojwang, there were the killings of Rex Maasai, Denzel Omondi, Austin Makokha, Eric Shieni, Evans Kiratu, Ryan Mwendwa, Beasley Kogi, among many others who were martyred by the state.

What then happens when those at the helm of the State and Government of Kenya are suspects and no longer defenders of our Constitution and the rule of law that they publicly swore by oath to uphold? Ukweli Party and Kongamano la Mapinduzi call on all Kenyans to stand in one accord to stop our country’s descent into the mayhem and lawlessness that the Ruto-Kindiki presidency is actively orchestrating. It is now clear that Ruto and Kindiki’s political playbook is colored with armed political thugs who will continue misusing our intelligence, law enforcement and military agencies for their political survival. This presidency and the entire UDA-Kenya Kwanza administration have lost all legitimacy and credibility to continue governing the people.

To stop further destruction of our homeland, to restore our sovereignty and power to govern ourselves justly in accordance with our progressive Constitution and the rule of law; and to revert our institutions of governance into competent, independent and accountable public services for the people of Kenya, Ukweli Party and Kongamano la Mapinduzi demand the following:

• Full disclosure by the Inspector General of Police of what exactly happened on June 25
  2024 and after in relation to who gave the orders leading to the extrajudicial killing of peaceful protestors; the abduction, disappearances, torture, and murder of protestors and online critics of government policies; and if there are armed political militia groups entertained within official police deployments. In addition to ongoing murder cases and ongoing inquests, we demand that judicial inquests must be started for all those killed in the June 2024 protests.
• A parliamentary inquest to look into the conduct of the Ruto-Kindiki presidency so as to establish if their response to the June 2024 protests and subsequent crackdown on government critics and protestors violated the Constitution of Kenya and hold them to full account in accordance with the Constitutional mandate of the National Assembly and Senate as prescribed under Articles 95, 96 and 145 of the Constitution of Kenya. Ukweli Party and Kongamano la Mapinduzi fully know the integrity and credibility deficits of the National Assembly and Senate but we make this demand because they are well paid employees of Kenyans and the Constitution grants them responsibility to hold the Executive to account on behalf of the people of Kenya. They have no choice but to change their ways and represent the people as required;
• Above all, the resignation of the Ruto-Kindiki presidency in the public interest for serial unconstitutional, unlawful and criminal conduct as we have highlighted in this statement.

Finally, we ask Kenyans to join the families of those we lost to criminal state violence during and after the #RejectFinanceBill2024 last year – in Nairobi and across the country as they present their demands for justice to public officials. We will be marching alongside you, for Ukweli Party and Kongamano la Mapinduzi are part of our forward march into a new Kenyan history of freedom, dignity, social justice and peace for ALL.

We welcome all Kenyans who share this determination, hopes and dreams for Kenya to join our just and righteous struggle that seeks to create a new Kenya that accords peace, justice and dignity to all. Defeating the anti-people Ruto-Kindiki administration is a first crucial mission for all of us: they cannot maim and kill us, and lead us.

*end of statement*
Note to Editors: For further engagement, contact Sungu Oyoo, National Spokesperson of
Kongamano La Mapinduzi – KLM (0724917875) & Nduko O’Matigere, the National
Chairperson/Party Leader of Ukweli Party (0720131574)

une 12 2025, Nairobi – We thank all Comrades, and especially members of the media fraternity for attending this press conference that is of utmost importance to the nation.

This press conference has been called by Kongamano la Mapinduzi. Kongamano la Mapinduzi is  a coalition of diverse Kenyan individuals, organizations, initiatives and movements, generally identifiable as progressive within struggles for civil, political, social, cultural, economic and ecological justice and freedoms.

Kongamano la Mapinduzi has called for today’s press conference to enable us address two important issues that have captured the national attention at this particular moment – the brutal murder of Albert Ojwang, and the 2025/2026 budget.

Murder of Albert Ojwang

Kongamano la Mapinduzi called for a press briefing on Monday, 9th June 2025, at the Nairobi Funeral Home (formerly City Mortuary) to not only condemn the killing of Albert Ojwang, but to also demand for justice and accountability for the more than 60 Kenyans who we have lost since last year. Albert, who was arrested by six police officers in Migori last weekend, was driven for over 350 kilometres to Nairobi, tortured, then detained at Central Police Station where he was killed.

The Inspector General of Police, Douglass Kanja, told the nation on Monday (9th June) that Albert Ojwang had died from self-inflicted injuries that he sustained after smashing his head against a wall while under police custody. The whole nation is aware of the post-mortem results that were released on Tuesday afternoon – results which indicate that Albert died not only from blunt force trauma to the head, but also from strangulation and other injuries inflicted on him  by his abductors. The signs outlined in the pathologists report are consistent with torture.

Albert died a painful death. He died an excruciating death. He died a death that no human being deserves. Albert was a vibrant teacher. He was a young Kenyan with a young family. Albert Ojwang was full of dreams for the future. These dreams have been cut short through state violence. Albert is no more.

Baddies, we are dying in hospitals because they do not have enough medicine. Baddies, we are dying because of lack of knowledge, for our schools are both understaffed and under-equipped to prepare our generation for life in the 21st Century. And the system again wants us to die from its bullets? No!! We are tired of dying!!

KLM extends its deepest condolences to the family of Albert Ojwang. We cannot even pretend to imagine the pain they feel. All we can state is that it is a reflection of the pain of thousands of families across the country who have lost their loved ones to such senseless acts of violence – whether sanctioned by the state, or other powerful internal and external forces.

We welcome the investigative processes set up by Parliament and IPOA, but concurrently warn them that Kenyans are waiting for justice to be served. These two institutions should, and must not allow their investigative or oversight processes to be abused or used to cover up the murder of Albert Ojwang.

Kongamano la Mapinduzi demands the following:

1. An end to extra-judicial killings in our country. According to a report by Missing Voices, the continued weaponisation of the police and other security agencies against the people of Kenya resulted in at least 104 police-related killings, and 55 enforced disappearances in 2024 alone. We insist that the police should be a source of security, not insecurity.
2. An immediate and independent inquiry or investigation to establish who killed Albert Ojwang’. This process should involve the arrest and prosecution of all who were involved in Albert Ojwang’s arrest, interrogation and murder, including those they were reporting to, or receiving orders from, as relates to this particular matter.
3. The resignation of Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat who was the complainant in this particular issue, and who is clearly a person of interest in the murder case. We further demand the resignation of the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, for feeding the nation false information – presumably with the intention of covering–up the murder of Albert Ojwang. It is not enough to fire a few junior officers, while letting the big boys go scot-free. That is a shallow action that does not impress us! We are tired of your performative actions.

Justice must be served!

2025/2026 Budget: They are Budgeting to Kill us.

The 2025/2026 budget will be read before Parliament this afternoon. This budget comes at a time when most Kenyans are already overburdened by a high cost of living and high taxes, and are again forced to dig even deeper into their pockets to access ‘so-called’ public services such as healthcare and education.

Kenyans have, for the longest time, been appealing for the institution of progressive budget mechanisms that are pro-people. They have instead received tax-heavy and service-deficient budget mechanisms. Kongamano la Mapinduzi notes that the national budget as currently structured – and especially when read in conjunction with the Finance Bill and Appropriations Bill – is a criminal enterprise that benefits only a few individuals and corporations.

The 2025 Finance Bill, which is set to be presented before Parliament in a few days, is antipeople. Why is it anti-people? It is anti-people because it scraps VAT exemptions on essential commodities, including farm inputs. The scrapping of these VAT exemptions will increase the cost of production for farmers, and is likely to translate to higher food prices for the larger majority. it proposes a 5% agriculture tax on tea, coffee and avocado sales, which will additionally eat into the earnings of small-holder farmers who are already burdened by the new taxes on farm inputs – and only serves to further reduce disposable income at the household level.

The 2025 Finance Bill also increases the fuel levy – a move that will not only increase the cost of fuel but also resultantly effect an increase in the cost of electricity, manufacturing and transport. The bill further proposes 15% taxes on internet costs, and a neonatal tax – which is a tax on new born babies. Yes, Kenyans will now be taxed for giving birth. That is the blatant madness that we are everyday forced to confront.

Of fundamental concern to Kongamano la Mapinduzi is the fact that this increase in taxes has been accompanied by budget cuts in allocations toward social services like healthcare and education. The executive, meanwhile, continues to display an insatiable appetite for opulence and unnecessary spending – as evidenced by the recent renovations at State House, purchase of fuel guzzlers, inflated travel costs, among other unnecessary expenditures – all this despite the country facing a huge budget deficit of around 1 trillion shillings.

The police drove Albert Ojwang for over 300 kilometres to kill him. Baddies, this government is taxing us, then wastefully using our taxes to kill us. Dear baddies, the only difference between this 2025/2026 budget and a hangman’s noise is that one is made of sisal. Both can kill.

KLM takes this earliest opportunity to remind the broad-based government that it must live within its means. You cannot increase taxes on already-overtaxed Kenyans so as to finance your extravagant and opulent lifestyles – or to kill us.

At this particular moment, Parliament as an institution should be asserting its authority in defense of the people. Our Parliament is however, captured by the executive, and unable to effectively play its oversight and representative roles, or to simply stand up for what is right.

Earlier this week, the Budget and Appropriations Committee tabled final budget estimates for 2025/2026 before Parliament. These estimates recommended an increase in allocation of 150 million for the DCI to procure a system to track social media users. In total, the National Police Service budget could rise by 1.8 billion. They are budgeting to kill us.

The committee also reduced the allocation to the National Fund for the Disabled by 400 million. Allocation to the Teachers Service Commission has reduced by 570 million, with resources dedicated to the capacity building of teachers slashed by 620 million. Allocation to university education has been slashed by 920 million, secondary education slashed by 4 billion, and primary education slashed by 405 million. This is utter nonsense.

In light of the above, Kongamano la Mapinduzi rejects the 2025/2026 budget in its entirety -even before it is read this afternoon.

Way forward

Kongamano la Mapinduzi is aware that millions of Kenyans are concerned about recent national events and political occurrences at this particular moment, and that they are taking action in different shapes and forms. We are aware that there are a number of peaceful marches planned by baddies from across the country over the next few days.

We wish to bring two of these to public attention:

• There will be peaceful groups delivering a petition to the Central Police Station in Nairobi and to the office of the Inspector General of Police this afternoon regarding the murder of Albert Ojwang. We ask the police to accord respect to these just and righteous people-led processes by not starting violence.
• On Friday 13th June, the mother’s and families of those who we have lost since June last year will deliver a notice of protest to Central Police Station in Nairobi. We again ask the National Police Service to accord respect to this peaceful process, and facilitate where necessary.

Lastly,

Dear baddies, we have noticed an increase in the number of plain-clothed police officers and criminal elements who are infiltrating marches and protests with the intention of creating confusion, mayhem, and violence. We ask that all police come in uniform, and wish to emphasise that anything without uniform shall be treated as part of the criminal elements and networks that seek to delegitimise our just and righteous struggle for a better Kenya.

All power to the people!

Signed,

KLM Central Committee

Rose Njeri is not a criminal. She is a respected member of Kenya’s tech ecosystem and a courageous voice in the fight for justice, equality, and good governance. She stood with millions of GenZ in the historic 2024 street protests against the punitive Finance Bill, an uprising that exposed the moral bankruptcy of this regime. Her arrest is politically motivated, intended to silence those who dare to speak truth to power.

Comrade Rose Njeri was accosted and taken by an entourage of approximately 15 armed police officers along Enterprise Road after attending a training with a tech incubator. No reasons were given for her arrest, no charges read, violating Article 49 of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution, which guarantees arrested persons the right to be informed promptly of the reason for their arrest.

In a traumatizing show of force, the police coerced her into leading them to her residence, where they illegally gained access to her home and seized personal gadgets – laptops, flash disks, and more. No court order or search warrant was presented. This was a blatant breach of Rose’s constitutional protections under Article 31 (right to privacy) and Article 50 (right to fair trial).

She was then driven around Nairobi for hours before being taken to DCI Headquarters, where she was interrogated by three officers (Zainab, Mustafa, and an unnamed third officer) without access to legal representation. She was forced to record a statement, despite explicitly asking for her lawyer, a violation of both constitutional and international human rights law.

During the interrogation, officers questioned her about her involvement in two digital platforms:
civicemail.netlify.app
  Ruto Filter Chrome Extension

This points to a state-sponsored campaign to intimidate civic-tech developers who are empowering citizens to think critically and organize against repression.

As of this statement, Comrade Rose Njeri remains unlawfully detained at Pangani Police Station, held past the constitutional limit of 24 hours without being presented in court.

The police have refused to grant her bail, provide full access to legal counsel, or offer any justification for her continued detention without trial. This arrest is not isolated. It is emblematic of the political rot and instability at the heart of the Ruto regime. It signals the total collapse of legitimacy and the rise of an increasingly violent police state.

Let it be known, that the arrest of Comrade Rose Njeri might as well be the spark that will reignite the GenZ movement. The same GenZs who flooded the streets in 2024, must prepare to reclaim our streets once more, in mobilizing around #RejectFinanceBill2025. Her detention comes at the eve of the month of the 2024 occupation of Parliament. Let this year’s resistance go further and deeper, perhaps this time, the House itself might be a better challenge.

Her arrest is a call to all justice and human rights civil society organizations: remove the kid gloves. Match the energy and courage of the Law Society of Kenya. We salute LSK and urge others to follow suit. It is a call to veteran activists, student leaders, grassroots organizers, and trade unionists, this is your moment to take up your positions. It is a call to Kenya’s tech community, if you remain quiet while one of your own is kidnapped and interrogated for building civic tools, you embolden them for your own persecution. Kenya’s famed Silicon Savannah is under siege by a despot.

We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Rose Njeri.

We demand accountability from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the National Police Service, and the office of the Inspector General.

We remind the Ruto regime that no dictatorship has outlived the resistance of a determined people.

Issued by:
Kongamano La Mapinduzi (KLM)

#FreeRoseNjeri | #MapiduziKE | #BungeMustGo | #GenZRevolution

I first attended ALD in the year 2013 here at the Kenya National Theatre at the invitation of a comrade. At this ALD, I met many familiar faces. I met Ruth Mumbi, Gacheke Gachichi, Juliet Wanjira, Kimanzi, Garang’ Mzalendo,  McOlonde, And Grandmaster masseuse – rest in power!. All ever familiar faces – Nuki Githethwa’s wisdom was prominent – as was Fahamu and other progressive organisations.

This journey at this particular ALD would enable my generation to witness the growth of PAM-KE. I connected with the revolutionaries, communists, pan-Africanists, and a powder-keg of liberals and anarchists. We witnessed the growth of the Pan African movement Kenya under the growth of McOlonde. This decade enabled me to see the birth of Africans Rising, a Pan-African movement for justice, peace, unity and dignity.  At a certain point of arrival, these collective organising enabled me to meet a comrade, Alieu Bah, with whom I would co-found Mwamko.

That we have been able to come back here every year is no small achievement. It is a sign of persistence and consistency. It is a sign that our organising efforts continue to bear fruit, for we are not just witnesses of history, but active participants in its creation. Active participants in the struggle for new worlds – worlds of joy, love, laughter, and dignity. We are part of the forward march of our people.

Us/Rememberance:

5^th Pan African Congress…. 3 questions

Who are our friends?

Who are our enemies?

What must be done?

The First Conference of Independent African states held in April 1958 in Accra, Ghana, called for the founding of an African Freedom Day to “mark each year the onward progress of the liberation movement, and to symbolise the determination of the people of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation”. The years that followed provided a glimmer of hope in a sea hitherto marked by the dark forces of slavery and colonialism, those brutal systems that were used to subjugate and extract from the periphery to fatten the centre. With the colonial state now in retreat, representatives of thirty independent African states met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 22nd May 1963 for a meeting that culminated on 25th May with the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). That meeting also resolved to rename Africa Freedom Day to African Liberation Day, which has since then been commemorated annually on the African continent and its diaspora.

Restitution:

We are today commemorating the 62^nd African Liberation Day under the theme Revolutionary Pan-African Unity: the battle for socialism against capitalism and imperialism.

But this year’s commemoration comes at a time of great pain – a time of untold war, genocide, and mass suffering across the globe.

Unbridled capitalism is killing our planet. In addition to fuelling colonial patterns of economics and extraction, it has also immensely contributed to changing weather patterns and rendered whole farmlands unproductive. Forces that are both internal and external to Africa have ganged up to manufacture war in Sudan, Congo, and countless other places across the continent. The whole world has watched a genocide unfold right before their eyes in Palestine – the first genocide to be televised almost minute by minute.

In Kenya, our health system is in shambles, our education system is a mess – we are even now told that kids might not be able to sit national examinations because the money allocated to that cannot be traced. Our seeds have been commodified, and the levels of inequality continue to grow wider every day. Our young people were matyred on the streets of Nairobi in June of 2025 for simply asking for dignity.

But we must never give up. Geneologies of resistance and rebellion..

In the almost six decades that have passed since 1963, various moments and movements in our shared history as a people have given hope and added impetus to the original aspirations of Africa Liberation Day. Nkrumah reminded us that we (Africa) neither look East nor West, we look forward. Nyerere, dreaming of self-reliance, put Tanzania on the paths of Ujamaa, which CLR James, in that historical epoch, described as ‘something new coming out of Africa’. Cabral, viewing cultural resistance as an act of National Liberation, reminded us that culture is both a seed and a determinant of history. Today, like all days, is a day to affirm great figures like Dedan Kimathi, Thomas Sankara, Winnie Mandela, Joe Slovo, Garang’ De Mabior, Kinjeketile wa Ngwale, Cheikh Anta Diop, Queen Nzingha, Julius Malema and the countless heroes and heroines in our communities as both seeds and determinants of history. They remain an eternal inspiration to millions across the continent and its dispersed diaspora. In different epochs, the past becomes the present, and the present an illustration of what is to come.

On this 62nd ALD, we at Kongamano la Mapinduzi reiterate our position in support of the liberatory ideals and principles that undergirded the first generation of Pan Africanists. We affirm this, even as we understand our context today demands a newness in analysis, theorizing and practice.  We must not be stuck in dogma…  Moscow

The National Liberation Struggle is still unfinished until our collective organising efforts lead Africa and her people out of the realm of necessity, and onwards to then building the federal African socialist society under one government – and finally to become a sovereign, radiant and free people who will control the means and realization of production and reproduction – the land, the food, and their destiny.

We must organise! Garvey…

These acts of repression are a direct assault on democratic principles, regional solidarity, and the fundamental rights of African citizens to freedom of movement, expression, and political participation. It is deeply troubling that Tanzanian authorities have chosen to criminalize peaceful efforts to observe and support a fair judicial process, particularly one involving a prominent opposition leader.

These actions not only violate the principles of freedom of movement and expression but also undermine the spirit of regional cooperation enshrined in the East African Community (EAC) treaty.

Tundu Lissu’s arrest and treason charges represent a dangerous pattern of political intimidation aimed at silencing dissent in the lead-up to Tanzania’s general elections. The deportation of Kenyan human rights defenders who traveled in solidarity, meanwhile, exposes a growing intolerance toward cross-border unity and democratic cooperation within the East African region.

At a broader level, we wish to bring to your attention some recent related patterns of violence across the African continent. Earlier this month, the Gambian Government arrested the Banjul 20, including Comrade Alieu Bah, for simply asking that the list of Yayyah Jammeh’s frozen assets, which are largely proceeds of corruption, be made public. In Southern Africa, activists continue facing oppression – as recently highlighted by repeated attempts to evict homeless people who have occupied government buildings because they have nowhere else to go. These occupations come in the wake of assassinations of leaders of the Ahbalahi BaseMnjodolo movement (also known as the Shack Dwellers Movement), which stands for land occupation by all those who are unseen and unheard by unjust power. We will not even talk about Uganda today, for the facts are clearer than light – even the blind can see that the state of repression, torture and violence that Museveni’s regime has instituted in Uganda is beyond human capacity. There are more important issues for us to discuss today.

All this goes on as huge swathes of Africa, including Sudan and the DRC are engulfed in manufactured wars that consign our people to violence, rape, death, amongst other untold atrocities.

We take this opportunity to remind our Comrade brothers and sisters across the continent that nothing is permanent. That the people are the motive force of history. That the people’s resistance against oppression must be organized, for it shall eventually triumph against forces of repression.

As Kongamano la Mapinduzi, a pan-Africanist and people-driven movement committed to justice and transformation, we:

• Stand in full solidarity with Tundu Lissu and the people of Tanzania in their struggle for accountable governance structures and electoral justice. WE additionally stand in solidarity with Ugandan leader Comrade Kizza Besigye, and all those who are unfairly jailed for speaking truth to power across the African continent.
• Salute our Kenyan comrades who, despite repression, continue to extend solidarity and champion the cause of democracy across borders. We additionally salute all those who stand shoulder-to-shoulder, or who continue extending solidarity to oppressed people across the world.
• Demand the immediate release of all those detained for political reasons in Tanzania, Uganda, and other African Countries – and an end to the targeting of citizens and allies advocating for justice and reform.

Democracy thrives when systems of power are held accountable, divergent opinions are listened to, and fundamental human rights are protected. We urge all African people, and comrades around the world, to speak out against these injustices and support the people of Africa, whether home or abroad, in their pursuit of peaceful, just and dignified societies.

Signed

KLM Central Committee –

These acts of repression are a direct assault on democratic principles, regional solidarity, and the fundamental rights of African citizens to freedom of movement, expression, and political participation. It is deeply troubling that Tanzanian authorities have chosen to criminalize peaceful efforts to observe and support a fair judicial process, particularly one involving a prominent opposition leader.

These actions not only violate the principles of freedom of movement and expression but also undermine the spirit of regional cooperation enshrined in the East African Community (EAC) treaty.

Tundu Lissu’s arrest and treason charges represent a dangerous pattern of political intimidation aimed at silencing dissent in the lead-up to Tanzania’s general elections. The deportation of Kenyan human rights defenders who traveled in solidarity, meanwhile, exposes a growing intolerance toward cross-border unity and democratic cooperation within the East African region.

As Kongamano la Mapinduzi, a pan-Africanist and people-driven movement committed to justice and transformation, we:

• Stand in full solidarity with Tundu Lissu and the people of Tanzania in their struggle for accountable governance structures and electoral justice.
• Salute our Kenyan comrades who, despite repression, continue to extend solidarity and champion the cause of democracy across borders.
• Demand the immediate release of all those detained for political reasons, and an end to the targeting of citizens and allies advocating for justice and reform.

Democracy thrives when governments are held accountable, opposition voices are heard, and human rights are protected.  We urge all to speak out against these injustices and support the people of Tanzania in their pursuit of a just and equitable society.

Signed,

KLM Central Committee

KLM Statement on the Harassment of Mukuru Activists by The DCI.

Nairobi, 12 May 2025 – Kongamano la Mapinduzi strongly condemns the harassment of our Central Committee member, Anami Daudi Toure, who was earlier today summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Embakasi alongside six other activists from Mukuru Community Justice Centre because of a political education session that they conducted following a community screening of the recently-released BBC documentary ‘Blood Parliament’.

Though the activists have been released this afternoon, it is clear to us at Kongamano la Mapinduzi that the Ruto regime is quickly dismantling the constitutional gains of the past three decades and reinstating the Moi-KANU dictatorship. This is evidenced by the renewed assault on progressive grassroots organisations and their work, as we all witnessed today.

This new wave of police summons is aimed at reversing our struggles for justice and dignity. It is aimed at intimidating grassroots activists into silence. The forward march of this generation into history cannot however be silenced, for we recognise our generational responsibility in terms of birthing a new Kenya that guarantees peace, justice and dignity for all.

Mukuru Community Justice Center is a non-violent grassroots human rights organization that was founded in 2017. Over the years, this organisation has done excellent work aimed at achieving justice for the residents of Mukuru, and consistently been part of our shared struggle for a better Kenya. They have set a commendable example, and should be emulated.

Kongamano la Mapinduzi urges the comrades and organising units in Mukuru to stay strong and vigilant. KLM additionally extends gratitude to all the comrades, lawyers and organisations that extended solidarity to the seven activists who were facing police harassment and intimidation today.

Patriotism is not a crime! Activism is not a crime!

Signed,

KLM Central Committee –

Let it be known: this is not a government seeking order. It is a cowardly, despotic regime so terrified of its own people that it abducts its own children to silence a film. A film that dares to speak the names of our martyrs. A film that dares to show the world what happened outside our Parliament gates in 2024—peaceful, unarmed Gen Z protesters, children with water bottles in their hands, gunned down by security forces under state orders. Their only weapons were chants for freedom, and yet they were met with bullets. The camera, just as the pen, once again, has become the weapon of the brave.

Throughout history, powerful films have set fire to injustice. The Battle of Algiers shook colonial empires. Winter on Fire exposed state violence and inspired the world. And now, Blood Parliament stands in that lineage of revolutionary truth-telling—this time in the heart of Nairobi.

Ruto’s regime has crossed a blood-red line. You are abducting artists for documenting state killings? You are detaining truth to protect lies? Possibly torturing filmmakers for exposing the murder of the sovereign children of Kenya?

We will not stand for it. Kenya must not stand for it.

We issue the following calls to action:

1. To every Kenyan citizen of conscience: Pour into the streets. This is no longer just about economic pain—it is about a state turning on its own. Let us fill the streets with our bodies and our rage, until our siblings are returned and our martyrs honored.
2. To every media house: Defy the governemnt ban. Air Blood Parliament again and again, day and night, until Brian, Mark, Nicholas and their colleague are freed. Let this film echo from every screen, every radio, every rooftop. This is no time for neutrality—silence is complicity.
3. To human rights and civil society organizations: Mobilize now to protect all contributors to Blood Parliament—editors, fixers, field producers, and allied organizations like Sema Ukweli who dared to hold a mirror to the state. Provide legal, psychological, and physical safety. The regime is targeting the truth-tellers. Shield them.

To the Ruto and Farouk regime, hear us clearly: we are not afraid. You may abduct the filmmakers, but you cannot erase the film. You may torture the truth-tellers, but you cannot kill the truth.

Signed,

Kongamano La Mapinduzi.