Gen Z protester Ezekiel Kyama,/AI ILLUSTRATIONThe young man whose dramatic appearance inside Parliament during the 2024 Gen Z protests became one of the most enduring images of the anti-government demonstrations has revealed the personal cost of that moment, including being forced out of his family home and spending nearly two years in hiding.
Ezekiel Kyama says his life changed almost instantly after he shared footage from inside Parliament.
What began as a moment of protest quickly transformed him into one of the most recognisable faces of the demonstrations against the Finance Bill 2024.
"When we arrived home after storming Parliament, my brother informed me that I was trending at number one. I became famous in two minutes. I posted the video when I was inside Parliament. When I came out, I had 20,000 followers," Kyama said.
His sudden rise to fame, however, was soon overshadowed by fears of arrest as authorities launched investigations into individuals linked to the unprecedented breach of Parliament.
According to Kyama, the attention generated by the videos alarmed his family, especially his father, who repeatedly tried to reach him after seeing the footage circulating online.
"Before waking up, my father had called us like 70 times. I switched off my phone to avoid being called by people. When we finally spoke to my dad, he gave us five minutes to get out of the house," he said.
Faced with uncertainty and fears that security officers could track them down, Kyama and his brother decided to disappear from public view.
The decision marked the beginning of a long period in hiding.
"We decided to go out where no one would find us. When I reached Southern Bypass, I removed my SIM card and threw the phone away," he said.
Kyama revealed that while his brother later resurfaced, he remained in hiding for one year and nine months.
Despite the challenges, he says the experience became a turning point in his life.
Rather than living entirely in fear, he used the period to focus on self-improvement and education.
"I enjoyed my time in hiding; I did a lot of things. It was a nice experience. I enrolled in school and did a lot of reading. I was talking to my parents the whole time," he said.
The June 2024 Gen Z protests erupted across Kenya as thousands of young people took to the streets to oppose the controversial Finance Bill.
Demonstrators accused the government of introducing punitive taxes at a time when many Kenyans were struggling with a rising cost of living.
The protests reached a historic and unprecedented moment when demonstrators overwhelmed security officers and entered Parliament as lawmakers debated the Bill.
The breach of the National Assembly precincts became one of the defining moments in Kenya's recent political history.
Among the images that quickly spread across social media were videos showing Kyama standing inside the parliamentary chamber, addressing the Speaker's seat and chanting anti-government slogans as protesters celebrated their entry into the heavily guarded institution.
The footage turned him into a symbol of the demonstrations and made him one of the most recognisable faces associated with the protests.
In the aftermath of the unrest, several activists and participants either went into hiding or claimed they were being pursued by authorities as investigations into the demonstrations continued.
Nearly two years later, Kyama says he has reached a point where he no longer wants to live in fear.
Reflecting on the events that followed the protests, he noted that many lives were permanently altered.
"During that time, the lives of many Kenyans changed forever; some were killed and others abducted. For me, I have been in hiding for almost one year and nine months. Now I need a change. I need to get on with my life. I need to start a new life that has no fear," he said.
The former protester now says he is determined to move forward and rebuild his life, arguing that meaningful change cannot be achieved from the shadows.
"I cannot stay in hiding forever. We want to change this country, and we can't change it by hiding. As Kyama, I have decided to start a new life."
