KenyansOnX: Over Ksh.2M Raised In Just 8 Hours For Rex and Evans’ Burial Expenses
In less than 8 hours, Kenyans raised more than Ksh. 2 million to cover the burial expenses of both Rex Kanyike and Evans Kiratu.
The two young men died from injuries sustained during Thursday’s Occupy Parliament protests.
Rex was shot and killed by police as the protests entered the night stretch, while Evans was injured by a teargas canister and died a few days later.
Moved by the unfortunate circumstances, Kenyans on X banded together to give the two men a proper sendoff, just a day after an X’space’ galvanized the nation and sparked online activism.
Led by X personality Kimuzi and in collaboration with Osama Otero and Hanifa Adan, a team quickly came together to organise a fundraiser for both Rex and Evans, quickly establishing an M-CHANGA fundraiser on Sunday morning.
Kimuzi rallied Kenyans and shared the fundraiser’s link.
He wrote: “Our Brothers Rex & Evans | M-CHANGA. This is the link. I will send all the funds in my Mpesa here that was contributed. The goal is 2M. We can do this. It will be shared by both families.”
Kenyans of goodwill quickly began sending in their contributions, with many sharing screenshots to encourage others to do the same.
At the same time, Osama Otero launched yet another X space dedicated to the fallen protesters, urging all listeners to contribute as little as Ksh. 10 as the race to Ksh. 2 million heated up.
Eight hours later, Kimuzi informed Kenyans about the status of the fundraiser, proudly announcing that the target had been met.
It, in fact, exceeded the target by hundreds of thousands of shillings.
“8 hours later, tuko 2M. This week, nimekuwa happy, for the first time as a Kenyan. You can kill a liberator, but will never kill the incoming libération!” he tweeted.
8 HOURS LATER, TUKO 2M.
— Kimuzi (@Kimuzi_) June 23, 2024
THIS WEEK NMEKUA HAPPY, FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS A KENYAN.
YOU CAN KILL A LIBERATOR, BUT WILL NEVER KILL THE INCOMING LIBERATION. https://t.co/OVInmC4UZm pic.twitter.com/7d7eAK59Dy
He followed up with more tweets of gratitude, calling the contributors ‘unstoppable’ and further criticizing President Ruto.
“WE MADE IT!! THANK YOU, THANK You. We are unstoppable. We are a movement, Ruto can’t stop this. Unlike Sudi, we’ve done this together!” he said.
WE MADE IT!!!!
— Kimuzi (@Kimuzi_) June 23, 2024
THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
WE ARE UNSTOPPABLE.
WE ARE A MOVEMENT. RUTO CANT STOP THIS. UNLIKE SUDI, WE HAVE DONE THIS TOGETHER. pic.twitter.com/gRLgIlvPpp
Osama Otero, for his part, simply tweeted, “DONE!” and included a screenshot of the fundraiser’s enormous success.
Already, some Kenyans on X are making elaborate plans to attend Rex and Evans’ burials in large numbers, with many urging people to turn out in droves to not only honor the duo but also to send a strong message to Kenyan leadership.
KenyansOnX: Over Ksh.2M Raised In Just 8 Hours For Rex and Evans’ Burial Expenses
