Kaluma says Gen Z protests hijacked by tribalists, urges youth to rebuild
By Faith Lagat, June 23, 2025Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has sparked sharp debate online after claiming that tribal factions have taken over the Gen Z protest movement.
In a statement posted on X on Monday, June 23, 2025, Kaluma urged young Kenyans to shun what he termed “chaos and anarchy” and instead focus on rebuilding the nation.
“The tribalists have taken over ‘Gen Z’ and use it to refer to their youths being used to cause chaos and anarchy,” Kaluma wrote. “Our young people will not join them on Wednesday or in the future. We are busy rebuilding after years of discrimination and neglect.”
His remarks come ahead of fresh protests planned for Wednesday, June 25, 2025, part of the broader youth-led demonstrations that gained traction in 2024 under the #RejectFinanceBill2024 campaign.
The movement, largely mobilised through social media, has rallied young Kenyans around issues such as unemployment, rising taxes, and government accountability.
In an earlier post, he urged Kenyan youth to abandon street protests in favour of structured, peaceful channels for addressing grievances. In his statement, Kaluma wrote that the violence witnessed during those protests was instigated by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
His remarks come against the backdrop of renewed political tension and lingering memories of the deadly cost-of-living protests that rocked the country.
Mau Mau Comparison
Kaluma drew parallels between the Gen Z movement and the Mau Mau uprising of the 1950s, accusing unnamed forces of weaponising ethnic narratives.
He cited declassified 2012 documents from the British National Archives, which revealed how colonial authorities mischaracterised the anti-colonial Mau Mau movement as an ethnic Kikuyu rebellion to justify brutal repression.
“The same divide-and-rule tactics are being repeated today,” Kaluma warned, suggesting that a nationalist cause is once again being fragmented along tribal lines.
A 2024 report by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) had earlier highlighted the organic, non-partisan nature of the Gen Z protests, calling them a rare moment of unified digital mobilisation. But Kaluma’s remarks now point to what he believes is political interference aimed at steering the movement off course.
As the country braces for Wednesday’s protests, Kaluma’s remarks are likely to further shape the conversation around Gen Z activism, national identity, and the role of political elites in youth-led movements.