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Young Kenyans-led mass protests over the past two weeks have held power to account and jolted the nation into an unprecedented sombre mood of reflection.

The Generation Z anti-government protests successfully mobilised Kenyans from across ethnic lines around common economic demands against the proposed harsh taxation measures in the Finance Bill, 2024.

So powerful were the initial protests last month that an adamant President William Ruto was forced to hastily withdraw the unpopular bill he had personally championed with compliant legislators.

This was a critical lesson that leaders must always listen to the people and provide them with a political, economic and social cushion.

Young Kenyans turned overwhelming public opposition to the bill into a sharp tool of indictment, exposing the mistrust between the authorities and citizens.

Suddenly, the burden of taxation in a harsh economic environment brought the grievances the people bore against the government to the fore. Enlightened Gen Zs have galvanised the people into a movement comparable only to the struggle for independence and the second liberation for multiparty democracy.

The young generation are most hard hit by neocolonial inadequacies that have worsened in society today – inequality, poverty, oppression and economic exploitation.

Ills afflicting Kenyan society have been perpetuated by a largely insensitive and corrupt political class manipulating constitutionalism, parochialism and electoral processes to dominate and cling to power. For the youth, the pain is starkly expressed in years of education up to the highest level at great cost to their parents, only to end up without jobs. The unending saga surrounding trained teachers and doctors captures this glaring anomaly.

Successive governments have miserably failed to find a solution to the spiralling unemployment crisis among the youth – one of the main reasons that drove them to the streets across the country. The chickens have come home to roost for those who may have taken the people for granted by deftly manipulating sacred democratic traditions while arrogantly displaying corrupt opulence.

Gen Z have awakened the dictum that power belongs to the people and those who have borrowed it from the people must be held accountable for how they use it.

This awakening means government policies relating to public spending and the use of taxes collected from the people shall face sharper scrutiny than for previous administrations in Kenya’s history.

Unless the government leadership climbs down from its perceived ivory tower and addresses the youths’ clearly justified demands without any conditions, the signs are ominous.

Other than the withdrawal of the contentious bill that was forced through Parliament by compromised legislators, the young activists are calling for President Ruto and his government to resign. 

Initially, the protests were largely peaceful, but unfortunately, the police fired teargas and water cannons and shot and killed peaceful protesters and innocent victims.

The young protesters are rethinking their strategy after last Tuesday’s demonstrations were marred by violence and looting, the work of hired goons to either discredit the legitimate demonstrators or advance political agendas.

The Gen Z movement enjoys the people’s support. President Ruto and security agencies must swiftly curb this dangerous and destructive infiltration of democratic youth-led people’s demands.

Only genuine national dialogue and reflection will save Kenya from plunging into an abyss.

—The writer comments on national affairs-