The Wiper Patriotic Front Party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka has proposed that the Machakos County Youth Empowerment Program be renamed in honor of Rex Maasai and other young Kenyans who lost their lives during the June 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
Speaking on Tuesday, November 4, during the graduation ceremony of over 1,000 participants in the inaugural Machakos County Youth Empowerment Program, Kalonzo urged Governor Wavinya Ndeti to consider renaming the initiative the ‘Rex Maasai Empowerment Program’ as a tribute to the fallen Gen Z protesters, whose sacrifice, he said, changed Kenya forever.
“In honor of Rex Maasai and the fallen Gen Zs whose sacrifices changed Kenya forever and inspired change worldwide, we ask that you rename this inspirational project as the Rex Maasai Empowerment Program. You may have to take it to the county assembly for debate. It is not an order,” Kalonzo stated.
The former vice president emphasized the need for consultation in the naming process, suggesting that while stakeholders might come up with an alternative name, the program should reflect the spirit of the Gen Z revolution.
“We believe in consultation. Maybe you even come up with a better name, but you need to give this Machakos Youth Empowerment Program a sense of the Gen Z revolution, which Rex Maasai, one of your own, was not allowed to live, and living is a basic thing,” he added.
29-year-old Rex Masai died on June 20, 2024, during youth-led demonstrations in Nairobi against the proposed Finance Bill. He was shot during protests along Moi Avenue in Nairobi’s central business district.
His death became a focal point in discussions about the use of force by security agencies and police accountability in Kenya.
The June 2024 protests were a wave of nationwide demonstrations led primarily by Gen Z and young Kenyans opposing the Finance Bill 2024, which proposed higher taxes on essential goods and digital services.
Kalonzo praised Rex Maasai as a decent young man and called for a Kenya where no dream is too big and no voice is silenced.
“He was a decent young man. Together, my friends, we can transform Kenya and build a nation-state where no dream is too big, where no voice is silenced like that of Rex Maasai, and where, most importantly, no young person is left behind,” he stated.
The former vice president, who was speaking as the chief guest at the event, noted that the graduation ceremony is testimony that devolution works and urged the youth to leverage it for self-sustainability.
The Wiper Party chief challenged the young population to embrace innovation and create their own opportunities rather than wait for them.
“I urge you to use your training as a launchpad to build, to innovate, and to serve. Please don’t wait for opportunities to come knocking; go out and create them! Distinguished Guests, Kenya’s future will not be shaped in boardrooms and in Nairobi alone. It will be shaped in counties like Machakos by young people who are determined to make devolution work,” Kalonzo stated.
The graduation marked the culmination of a 21-day boot camp launched by Machakos County Governor Wavinya Ndeti. The program provided county youth with National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) certified training in leadership, teamwork, and vocational skills, including construction and mechanics.
A total of 1,000 trainees, comprising 25 participants from each of the 40 wards within the county, benefited from the initiative. The graduation ceremony took place at the White House Grounds in Machakos County.
