The punitive taxes proposed in this year’s Finance Bill 2024 by President William Ruto’s administration have ignited backlash across the country, with young Kenyans in their twenties and early thirties leading the pushing back against Kenya Kwanza’s policies, unfavorable to a majority of poor Kenyans.
What started as modest online activism to reject the Finance Bill 2024 has erupted into a national cause to do away with the currently existing political system, after lawmakers on Thursday forced their way with the proposed bill by casting 204 votes in support. This move by MPs is viewed as an affront to democracy by Gen Z and Millenials, who strongly feel the National Assembly is toothless, captured by President Ruto and no longer represents the needs of the people.
The huge demonstrations witnessed in various parts of the country this week show the political potency of Generation Z and Millenials as the country heads to 2027. Kenya’s population is estimated at 54,985,702, with Gen Z being the most populous at 18,378,493 which represents 33.42%. Millennials are 12,123,453 representing 22.05%. Both generations make up 55.47%.
The opposition by young Kenyans to the 2024 finance bill exemplifies a broader shift towards greater youth and female representation in politics. As they continue to challenge power structures and propose inclusive policies, the young people of Kenya are redefining the nation’s political landscape. This is not just a protest; it’s a declaration of intent, a message that the youth are ready to lead and redefine what it means to be a citizen in a democratic Kenya.
It is no longer a secret, that a storm has been brewing in the Kenya Kwanza administration, with politicians and top members of staff at State House working day and night to create a rift between leaders in the Mt Kenya region by isolating Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua while pushing a narrative of the region needing new generation of leaders, away from the DP and his peers.
The group, epitomized by figures like Dennis Itumbi and driven by personal gain plus self-promotion, often at the expense of ethical standards is coalescing around Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, whom they see as a potential replacement for Rigathi Gachagua. For Gen Z, Ndindi Nyoro is a traitor dining with the Oppressor. He failed to stand with Kenyans against the Finance Bill 2024 and continues to lick President Ruto’s boots.
With the entry of Gen Z and their Millenial counterparts calling for the removal of President Ruto from office, Itumbi and his group find themselves in a tight spot, and can no longer run with the generation change narrative to clip the Deputy President’s wings in government.
Driven by individual interests, the cabal at State House proposing Ndindi Nyoro as their leader is resistant to change. It prefers maintaining the status quo that benefits its interests, unlike what Gen ZÂ and Millenials are pushing for.
These two generations travel together in terms of their political values, and how they view the government. Both generations care about the same issues. They believe in a robust government to solve some of the systemic issues facing this nation.
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