Gen Z in Mombasa have rejected President William Ruto’s public apology to Kenyan youth as “sheer hypocrisy.”

 The youth termed the gesture part of a broader scheme to “deceive Kenyans”, a pattern they claim has defined President Ruto’s presidency from the start.

On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, during the National Prayer Breakfast in Nairobi, Ruto apologised to the youth for the state-led crackdown on anti-Finance Bill protests in 2024.

 The demonstrations, which were driven largely by Gen Z across the country, resulted in deaths, abductions, and human rights abuses.

“I extend this apology with a heavy heart to the Gen Zs of our nation. What happened should not have happened. As a government, we must do better,” Ruto said.

But in Mombasa, the apology has fallen on deaf ears.  “It’s too late to apologise,” said Brian Mutuku, a Gen Z activist based in the coastal city. “The president should brace himself for a one-term presidency. The youth are no longer interested in empty gestures.”

Mutuku and other youth leaders criticized the National Prayer Breakfast as a “cosmetic exercise” by an administration that has long turned a blind eye to the plight of ordinary Kenyans.

 “That event was not about unity,” Mutuku added. “It was about putting on a show for the cameras while ignoring the realities on the ground. The truth is, Kenyans are more divided and disillusioned than ever.”

The youth drew parallels between the president’s apology and his campaign strategy in 2022.

 “This is the same man who came to us with prayers and Bible verses. It worked then, but not anymore,” said Mutuku.

To date, families of victims of anti-Finance Bill protests.

Meshack Nyongesa, another Gen Z from Mombasa, said “real change will only come through a shift in leadership not scripted apologies and religious fanfare.”