From protest to power? Kenya Gen Z seeks end to politics as usual
President pushed into U-turn, sacks cabinet as Gen Z, millennials vow no letup, plan for 2027 elections
Published: 05:07 PM,Jul 19,2024 | EDITED : 09:07 PM,Jul 19,2024
When 25-year-old Kenyan teacher Stella stumbled on an X post about a new finance bill proposing taxes on basics from bread to diapers, she brushed it off as fake news.
'I just dismissed it as a politician complaining about something that wasn't true,' Stella, who did not want to give her full name, said as she recalled the clamour on social media that began in May. But as '#RejectFinanceBill2024' flooded her feed, Stella realised this wasn't just political noise. It was a rallying cry from her peers: young, educated, disenfranchised Kenyans.
'Some posted videos breaking down all the new taxes in the bill, others talked about how our parents were suffering with high living costs and compared it with the lavish lifestyles of our politicians. What they said struck a chord. It angered me.'
By mid-June, Stella had joined thousands of Gen Z and millennials across Kenya, taking to the streets in a wave of protests that have forced President William Ruto to make a historic U-turn and scrap his reviled law.
Ruto has also sacked his cabinet for a more 'broad-based government' and pledged to cut wasteful spending, dissolving state firms and reducing the number of government advisors.
Described as a 'youth-quake' in the media, the protests have also forced Kenya's police chief to resign.
At least 50 people died in protests that turned violent, prompting a ban on demos in central Nairobi, a move the force said was designed to stem criminals rather than stifle opposition.
For many youth protesters, the finance bill was just the tipping point that ignited long-simmering grievances over government corruption, squandered public funds, and a scarcity of opportunities for millions of Kenyans.
Emboldened by their newfound influence, young Kenyans want good governance and accountability. They are also plotting how to elect their chosen leaders in 2027 elections.
'It's a pivotal moment in Kenya's history. The youth are renegotiating their citizenship and demanding more political accountability,' said Nicodemus Minde, a social scientist at the Institute of Security Studies.
'People have hope as these protests are different from others. They are not driven by a political party, or a particular tribe or ethnicity - they are driven by a new generation who are more politically aware and very tech-savvy.'
A vibrant economy in East Africa, Kenya boasts strong revenues from farming and tourism. But despite an average of 5% annual economic growth over the last decade, the benefits have not trickled down.
One in three of Kenya's 50 million people are aged 15-34, yet this group suffers the worst unemployment, with 67% out of work, official data shows.
Moreover, over a million young Kenyans enter the labour market annually without skills, and it takes the average graduate five years to find a job.
Since Ruto took office nearly two years ago, the disconnect between his promises and reality has widened.
Kenyans grapple with skyrocketing living costs and increased taxes, all the while witnessing rank government extravagance.
Frustration has mounted over Ruto's frequent international travels and corruption scandals involving top officials.
Kenyans have also seen public funds allocated to political appointees and first family offices, and watched politicians flaunt their luxury cars and private helicopters.
All this has earned Ruto the nickname 'Zakayo' - Swahili for Zacchaeus, the biblical greedy tax collector. He is also routinely mocked by the media as 'King of the Skies' for clocking up 62 trips to 38 countries in 20 months.
'The finance bill was just the tip of the iceberg,' said Nerima Wako-Ojiwa, a political scientist and executive director of Siasa Place, a youth charity.
'People are outraged by all the corruption scandals and opulence of our leaders,' she said during an X space discussion.
Trouble began in May when the Finance Bill 2024 was unveiled in parliament, and Kenyans swiftly turned to platforms such as X and TikTok to thrash out its potential impact.
It proposed taxes on a host of items, from bread to cooking oil, sanitary pads to money transfers.
Ruto said the additional taxes would raise $2.7 billion and help cut Kenya's high debt, which has made borrowing difficult and squeezed the currency.
Within weeks, Gen Z and millennials were creating engaging digital content - cartoons, skits, videos and explainers - and the hashtags #RejectFinanceBill2024 and #RutoMustGo took off.
They engaged influencers and celebrities to harness their networks and translated the bill into different Kenyan languages to reach older and rural populations.
Developers built AI tools such as Finance Bill GPT, which calculates the bill's potential impact on prices, and Corrupt Politicians GPT, a chatbot that flags up scandals.
Alongside the demos, Kenyans tried some unorthodox tactics: crowdsourcing MPs' personal details so their phones were spammed and mounted demonstrations outside their offices and homes.
'It was incredible to see how organic the whole movement was,' Patrick, a 24-year-old paralegal, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. 'We all felt angry and wanted to change the status quo.'
As protests moved from the digital space to the streets on June 18, lawyers hosted discussions on citizens' rights in the event of an arrest, while doctors shared first-aid tips.
Their grievances were initially ignored and the protesters dismissed as 'KFC-eating' and 'Uber-riding' privileged urban youth by some members of the government.
But as the demonstrations continued, violence mounted with police using tear gas and live bullets against unarmed youth. The protests have also been infiltrated by criminals looting and destroying property, with parliament even briefly stormed.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, at least 50 people have died and hundreds have been injured. - The Thomson Reuters Foundation
'I just dismissed it as a politician complaining about something that wasn't true,' Stella, who did not want to give her full name, said as she recalled the clamour on social media that began in May. But as '#RejectFinanceBill2024' flooded her feed, Stella realised this wasn't just political noise. It was a rallying cry from her peers: young, educated, disenfranchised Kenyans.
'Some posted videos breaking down all the new taxes in the bill, others talked about how our parents were suffering with high living costs and compared it with the lavish lifestyles of our politicians. What they said struck a chord. It angered me.'
By mid-June, Stella had joined thousands of Gen Z and millennials across Kenya, taking to the streets in a wave of protests that have forced President William Ruto to make a historic U-turn and scrap his reviled law.
Ruto has also sacked his cabinet for a more 'broad-based government' and pledged to cut wasteful spending, dissolving state firms and reducing the number of government advisors.
Described as a 'youth-quake' in the media, the protests have also forced Kenya's police chief to resign.
At least 50 people died in protests that turned violent, prompting a ban on demos in central Nairobi, a move the force said was designed to stem criminals rather than stifle opposition.
For many youth protesters, the finance bill was just the tipping point that ignited long-simmering grievances over government corruption, squandered public funds, and a scarcity of opportunities for millions of Kenyans.
Emboldened by their newfound influence, young Kenyans want good governance and accountability. They are also plotting how to elect their chosen leaders in 2027 elections.
'It's a pivotal moment in Kenya's history. The youth are renegotiating their citizenship and demanding more political accountability,' said Nicodemus Minde, a social scientist at the Institute of Security Studies.
'People have hope as these protests are different from others. They are not driven by a political party, or a particular tribe or ethnicity - they are driven by a new generation who are more politically aware and very tech-savvy.'
A vibrant economy in East Africa, Kenya boasts strong revenues from farming and tourism. But despite an average of 5% annual economic growth over the last decade, the benefits have not trickled down.
One in three of Kenya's 50 million people are aged 15-34, yet this group suffers the worst unemployment, with 67% out of work, official data shows.
Moreover, over a million young Kenyans enter the labour market annually without skills, and it takes the average graduate five years to find a job.
Since Ruto took office nearly two years ago, the disconnect between his promises and reality has widened.
Kenyans grapple with skyrocketing living costs and increased taxes, all the while witnessing rank government extravagance.
Frustration has mounted over Ruto's frequent international travels and corruption scandals involving top officials.
Kenyans have also seen public funds allocated to political appointees and first family offices, and watched politicians flaunt their luxury cars and private helicopters.
All this has earned Ruto the nickname 'Zakayo' - Swahili for Zacchaeus, the biblical greedy tax collector. He is also routinely mocked by the media as 'King of the Skies' for clocking up 62 trips to 38 countries in 20 months.
'The finance bill was just the tip of the iceberg,' said Nerima Wako-Ojiwa, a political scientist and executive director of Siasa Place, a youth charity.
'People are outraged by all the corruption scandals and opulence of our leaders,' she said during an X space discussion.
Trouble began in May when the Finance Bill 2024 was unveiled in parliament, and Kenyans swiftly turned to platforms such as X and TikTok to thrash out its potential impact.
It proposed taxes on a host of items, from bread to cooking oil, sanitary pads to money transfers.
Ruto said the additional taxes would raise $2.7 billion and help cut Kenya's high debt, which has made borrowing difficult and squeezed the currency.
Within weeks, Gen Z and millennials were creating engaging digital content - cartoons, skits, videos and explainers - and the hashtags #RejectFinanceBill2024 and #RutoMustGo took off.
They engaged influencers and celebrities to harness their networks and translated the bill into different Kenyan languages to reach older and rural populations.
Developers built AI tools such as Finance Bill GPT, which calculates the bill's potential impact on prices, and Corrupt Politicians GPT, a chatbot that flags up scandals.
Alongside the demos, Kenyans tried some unorthodox tactics: crowdsourcing MPs' personal details so their phones were spammed and mounted demonstrations outside their offices and homes.
'It was incredible to see how organic the whole movement was,' Patrick, a 24-year-old paralegal, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. 'We all felt angry and wanted to change the status quo.'
As protests moved from the digital space to the streets on June 18, lawyers hosted discussions on citizens' rights in the event of an arrest, while doctors shared first-aid tips.
Their grievances were initially ignored and the protesters dismissed as 'KFC-eating' and 'Uber-riding' privileged urban youth by some members of the government.
But as the demonstrations continued, violence mounted with police using tear gas and live bullets against unarmed youth. The protests have also been infiltrated by criminals looting and destroying property, with parliament even briefly stormed.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, at least 50 people have died and hundreds have been injured. - The Thomson Reuters Foundation