Kenyans join viral ‘If I die in protests’ TikTok trend with mock funeral plans
A new, dark-humoured TikTok trend dubbed “If I die in protests” has taken social media by storm as thousands of Kenyans prepare for the highly anticipated nationwide demonstrations set for Wednesday, June 25, 2025.
What began as a subtle joke among a few Gen Z users has now spiralled into a full-blown digital wave, with TikTok flooded with videos of young Kenyans dramatically simulating final messages, sharing funeral wishes, and even pre-recording tributes—all wrapped in humour that barely conceals the underlying fear and frustration.
In the trending videos, users record themselves saying things like, “If I die in protests, please play my favourite song at the funeral,” or “Make sure my crush knows I liked them,” while others go a notch higher by listing the colour of their casket or naming the person they do not want to sit near their grave.
The satirical trend, although laced with laughter, is deeply reflective of the emotional temperature rising across the country.
With memories of last year’s June 25 protests—where several young demonstrators were killed or injured by police—still fresh, the trend is being interpreted as a blend of defiance, fear, and a call for accountability.
Some users have even gone ahead to screenshot their mobile money transactions to funeral homes, joking that they are “paying in advance, just in case.”
Ann Mwangangi
At the heart of the viral trend is popular TikTok mortician Ann Mwangangi, whom Kenyans have been relentlessly tagging ever since the challenge gained momentum.
Owing to her role as the final dresser for departed TikTok personalities such as Brian Chira, Ann unexpectedly found herself thrust into the centre of the trend, with Kenyans flooding her account with bizarre and oddly specific wishes they would want fulfilled should she be the one to handle their remains.
Some netizens jested that they would want her to ensure their bodies are placed near a charging socket, while others—particularly ladies—cheekily requested that she dress them in the viral wig she had been flaunting in her previous videos.
In one widely circulated clip where she appeared in a white morgue apron, Kenyans stormed her comments section with an overwhelming 10,000 responses, while the video raked in a staggering 124,000 likes.
Responding to the rising online frenzy on the night of Monday, June 23, 2025, Ann acknowledged the dark humour behind the challenge, noting that she understood why Kenyans were gravitating toward it and expressing that she felt loved for her work.
She, however, added that although she feels honoured by the attention and affection, the country still needs its people alive and strong to keep fighting for it beyond the highly anticipated protests.
“It is an honour being considered worthy of serving you, my loves, but the time has not come — this country still needs us after the 25th,” she wrote on her TikTok handle, @Annmwangangi2019.
On Tuesday, June 25, 2025, Ann also posted a screenshot of her M-Pesa inbox, which was flooded with small deposits, each accompanied by grim messages such as “In case I do not make it tomorrow.”
While the humour is unmistakable, the trend could mean a deeper national trauma—one that stems from the fear of violence, the memory of brutal crackdowns, and a generation that has grown disillusioned with institutions meant to protect them.
Whether satire or survival, the TikTok challenge is now more than a meme, but the loudest, darkest cry of a generation not willing to go down quietly.
