Kenyatta University fourth-year student and Gen Z activist Ezekiel Kyama Nzyoki, popularly known as "Mr Speaker Sir," has been released on a Sh100,000 personal bond after pleading not guilty to charges of unlawful entry and malicious damage to public property.
Kyama appeared before the Milimani Law Courts on Monday, where prosecutors accused him of unlawfully entering Parliament Buildings during the June 25, 2024, anti-Finance Bill demonstrations and causing damage to public property valued at Sh41 million.
The case stems from the historic protests that culminated in demonstrators breaching Parliament as lawmakers debated the Finance Bill.
He was represented by a legal team that included Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.
Kyama rose to national prominence during the June 25, 2024, protests after footage of him inside the National Assembly chamber went viral.
In the video, he repeatedly addressed the Speaker's chair with the now-famous words, "Mr Speaker Sir," before declaring, "Tuko hapa na hatuendi, leo tunalala hapa," as protesters briefly occupied sections of Parliament.
The images quickly became some of the defining moments of the Gen Z-led demonstrations that erupted over the proposed Finance Bill 2024, with the footage widely shared across social media platforms.
Following the Parliament breach, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations launched investigations into individuals suspected of participating in the incident. Kyama disappeared from public view and remained in hiding for nearly two years amid fears of arrest.
He resurfaced publicly in May this year, revealing that he had spent months moving from one location to another while avoiding public attention.
"During that time when we entered Parliament, there was high taxation. During that time, the cost of living was rising sharply. So, we as Gen Zs decided to go protest. We entered Parliament on the June 25, 2024. After we entered Parliament, many of us had our lives changed because many of the young Kenyans lost their lives. Many Kenyans during that time had their life changed forever," he said.
"I have been in hiding for almost one year and nine months. Now I need a change. I need to go on with my life. I need to start a new life. A life that is not about fear." He added.
His latest arrest followed his participation in demonstrations marking the second anniversary of the June 25 protests. Before his court appearance, Kyama posted a video from police custody saying, "Tuko Central, tumeshikwa. Tuko watu wengi na tulikuwa tumekuja tu anniversary," confirming he had been arrested alongside other demonstrators attending the commemoration.
His court appearance now marks the latest chapter in the legal journey of one of the most recognisable faces of Kenya's 2024 Gen Z movement, whose brief appearance inside Parliament transformed him into an enduring symbol of the protests.