The face of youth resistance against police brutality in Kenya now has a name: Philip Oketch, a Kenyatta University student leader who was shot in the neck during Tuesday’s anti-government protest in Nairobi.
Speaking publicly for the first time while still in recovery outside Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and draped in his hospital gown, Oketch delivered a scathing rebuke of President William Ruto and the Kenya Police, accusing the state of unleashing violence on its own citizens.
Flanked by fellow comrades chanting protest slogans, Oketch — popularly known as Yudhe — stood tall, bandaged but unbowed, vowing that youth across the nation would not be silenced.
“Allow me to begin by sending a warning to the so-called Commander in Chief, the president of the Republic of Kenya, ‘Wantam’ William Ruto,” he said.
“We are tired as the young people of this country. This country does not belong to anyone. This country belongs to our forefathers, the future generations, and us — the young people of this country.”
Shot for Protesting
Oketch was critically injured on June 17 while participating in a peaceful protest in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD), where demonstrators were condemning the alleged extrajudicial killing of educator and blogger Albert Ojwang.
Eyewitnesses say Oketch was struck by a bullet near Moi Avenue as police moved in aggressively to disperse protestors using live ammunition. He was quickly rushed to KNH, where medics say the bullet narrowly missed his spinal cord.
Youth Defiance in the Face of Repression
Despite the harrowing ordeal, Oketch remained defiant, lambasting the police as “robots in uniform” who had turned against the very citizens they swore to protect.
“We want you to take good control of your robots in uniform (the policemen), who swore and vowed to take good care of the citizens. But they’ve proven that they can be the burning problem towards the unarmed, sober and innocent citizens of Kenya,” he said.
“I want to tell William Ruto that no amount of threats will intimidate us. The streets belong to the people, and we will remain in the streets until you get out of power!”
Oketch serves as the Chief of Staff of the Homa Bay Universities Students’ Association (HUSA) and is also the Chairperson of the Homa Bay Youths Forum. Known for his vocal activism and student organizing, his shooting has provoked national outrage, particularly among university students.
In an emergency statement, HUSA condemned the shooting as a “barbaric act by the police” and called on students nationwide to rally behind Oketch.
“We strongly condemn this barbaric act by the police and call upon comrades across the nation to rise in unity and support our brother in this difficult time,” read a press release signed by HUSA President Ogolla Ray.
The association called for a national mobilization of students and a strategic dialogue on how to respond to what it described as “state-sponsored terrorism.”
“An Injury to One is an Injury to All”
Oketch’s shooting and powerful words have galvanized students across Kenya, with several institutions planning coordinated protest marches and teach-ins.
In what is quickly becoming a national student movement, universities from Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, and Mombasa have expressed interest in joining a unified week of action to demand police accountability, justice for victims, and an end to repression.
“The time to deliberate on a strategic course of action is now,” HUSA said in its press release. “An injury to one comrade is an injury to all.”
National Silence, Growing Pressure
As of Thursday, there has been no official comment from President Ruto, the Ministry of Interior, or the National Police Service regarding the shooting of Oketch. This silence has further angered activists and rights groups who say the state is not only responsible for the violence but also for the impunity that follows it.
Organizations like the Kenya Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International Kenya have added their voices to the call for investigations, labeling the recent wave of state violence as a return to “a dark chapter” of Kenyan history.
A Movement Awakens
Philip Oketch may be one young man recovering from a bullet wound, but his message has struck a chord with thousands.
He is fast becoming a symbol of a reawakened generation — one that is tired of empty promises, rising costs of living, and violent suppression.
As one student shouted from the crowd outside KNH:
“Comrade Yudhe has bled. Now Kenya must rise.”
