Gen Z Revolution in Kenya: How Security Intelligence Failed to Detect Massive Protest and Public Anger Against Government

In June 2024, Kenyan youths took to social media to share their concerns about the Finance Bill 2024/2025 proposed by the government. The authorities thought it was business as usual. Some government officials said young people took to the streets to create content.

Most government officials, including President William Ruto, supported the bill. They considered it a good deal because it would generate government revenue to manage the country’s public debt, lower the cost of living, improve citizens’ lives, and facilitate development projects. However, many citizens were of a contrary opinion and said the taxes in the Finance Bill 2024/2025 were unbearable.

According to Trading Economics, the average unemployment rate in Kenya stood at 4.9% as of January 2023. The withdrawn Finance Bill 2024/2025 had initially proposed additional tax measures on products and services, including bread, imported sanitary towns, motor vehicles, and mobile money transfers.

75% of the Kenyan population comprises young people, and most of them are unemployed. Thus, the policies proposed were allegedly in line with the proposals’ external forces. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was largely accused of imposing stringent financial proposals on Kenya.

Kenyans went only to push for the Finance Bill to be rejected under the hashtag #RejectFinanceBill. This culminated in peaceful protests on June 25, 2024, when Generation Z youths stormed the Parliament of Kenya and the Senate, forcing legislators to run for their lives. This happened as Members of Parliament debated and passed the Finance Bill 2024/2025. Several youths were shot dead during the daring protests at the heart of Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi. Many others were arrested, while some were allegedly abducted.

“Yesterday, I watched a girl for whom I had been paying fees. She was in the streets and had written a message to me the previous day. And I asked her, ‘You told me it was about taxation on motor vehicles and bread. Why are you in the streets?’ The girl told me she was not in the streets concerning the Bill, that she was doing TikTok. She told me she was there because she wanted to get views for TikTok,” Rachel Nyamai, the Kitui South Member of Parliament, said during one of the Parliament sessions.

Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua accused the country’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) of failing to give President William Ruto accurate intelligence of the feedback from Kenyans and the extent of planned protests.

President Ruto condemned the violent protests, describing them as treasonous, and vowed to take tough measures to restore order. In a televised address from State House, Ruto stated, “We shall provide a full and expeditious response to the treasonous events.” He warned those financing the violence of severe consequences. In a separate event, he accused the Ford Foundation of sponsoring anarchy in Kenya, allegations the foundation denied.

The government’s response to the protests drew criticism from the public, human rights organizations and international observers, who expressed their concern over the use of excessive force, abductions and arbitrary arrests of activists and young people. 23 protesters were shot dead, while many others were injured during the nationwide protests.

On June 26, 2024, President William Ruto bowed to the protesters’ pressure and announced he would not sign the finance bill into law. But was this going to quench the thirst of angry youths tired of the political class’s bad governance? No.

Another movement was hyped up with the #RutoMustGo hashtag on social media, demanding the resignation of President William Ruto and the dissolution of Parliament and the cabinet. Some young people publicly shared contacts of Members of Parliament who voted ‘Yes’ for the Finance Bill 2024 as a way of expressing their anger. This was in direct contravention of the country’s data protection laws. Most young people said that President Ruto’s campaign in 2022, which promised to help the poor and what was widely termed as ‘hustlers’, turned out to be lies. Other Kenyans lamented about corruption and extrajudicial killings.

On July 11, 2024, President William Ruto dissolved his cabinet but renominated some of the sacked cabinet ministers a week later (July 19, 2024), a move that angered the majority of Kenyans. The president also instructed that the number of advisers in government be reduced, a move that was acted on by the Head of Public Service Felix Kosgei. Budget cuts were also implemented across the three arms of government (Executive, Legislature and Judiciary). This was one demand earlier presented by the Gen Zs.

On July 24, the president nominated more persons to his cabinet, including four opposition politicians from the leading opposition party, ODM. The four included former Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho, National Assembly’s Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi, ODM Party Chairperson John Mbadi and former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya. The move was praised and criticized in equal measure.

Some praised the president for forming what he called a broad-based government that included the opposition. Others criticized him for failing to listen to the Gen Zs and nominating old faces in politics. Young people have told the president they wanted fresh faces in his cabinet and stressed accountability, justice and a result-oriented fight against corruption. Other Kenyans accused opposition leader Raila Odinga of betraying Kenyans and ‘going to bed’ with the government.

President William Ruto has since visited Tharaka Nithi and Mombasa Counties to engage residents and initiate government projects. During the Mombasa Town Hall engagement, he promised to account for all people who were missing or killed during the recent protests by the young people.

Many citizens in Kenya hope that the recent protests have opened a new chapter on accountability for government officials and public participation for citizens. Generation Z has said they are determined to wipe out all the country’s political challenges to secure a better future for themselves and their future generations. With the renomination of some sacked cabinet secretaries, there are signs of more protests in the coming days, but time will tell.

Article by: Lydia Achieng’
lydiaachieng@upeohubdigital.co.ke

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