Makueni Senator Daniel Maanzo has urged the government to explore alternative ways to compensate victims of the Gen Z protests after a court halted the established commission. He emphasized that the government has a duty to protect its citizens and provide compensation when that duty fails. Maanzo expressed concern over the number of people killed and injured by security officers during the protests.
In a Senate session on November 26, 2025, Makueni Senator Daniel Maanzo criticized the government for failing to deliver justice to victims of the Gen Z protests. A court halted the commission set up to handle these cases, but Maanzo argued that nothing prevents the government from using other mechanisms to identify and address severe instances.
He stated that offering alternative compensation is not just a goodwill gesture but a show of political accountability. "The government's main investment is its people, and it has a duty to protect them and offer compensation when that protection fails," Maanzo said. He was disturbed by the number of people killed and injured by security officers, with the government doing little to assist them.
Maanzo highlighted the death of Rex Maasai during the protests as an example of the devastation families face. "When a family loses a young person who is very prospective, the trajectory of that family changes entirely, and the future of that family changes completely," he stated. He stressed that such profound, permanent loss requires more than slow legal processes; the government should take swift responsibility and provide immediate support to affected families.
He drew a personal analogy: "If I was caught up and a police officer or somebody shot me dead, the future of my family would have changed completely. If all the 47 senators here were shot in a university demonstration, then the Senate today would be very different." During his university days, there were riots but no shootings, and he compared the current administration to that of former President Moi, who would not tolerate such high death tolls and opted for arrests instead. Maanzo called on the government to implement measures to reduce deaths in demonstrations.