Aluta Continua: Why Gen Z demands are far from over

At first, there were doubts he would budge. Confronted by straight-shooting journalists in an interview that State House requested for, President William Ruto exacerbated viewers’ ire by failing to demonstrate an iota of remorse after police had fatally shot demonstrators in Nairobi. Thereafter, the crescendo in the chants of “Ruto Must Go” rose higher.

Then he stepped back and, in a surprise move, declined to sign the controversial Finance Bill into an Act. The protesting Gen Zs retreated a little bit, with one huge demand fulfilled.

But it was not enough, Kenyans insisted, and Ruto had to show more resolve or to ship out. The government still harboured very infamous elements, including a clique of publicly notorious ones who incessantly mocked Kenyans who were struggling to eke out a living, and who still had to pay huge taxes to maintain these leaders’ extravagant lifestyles. 

Just as they plotted to return to the streets for a mega rally, the rainclouds gathered rapidly and burst. The president did what many demanded but barely envisaged; he fired all his Cabinet secretaries.

This was not happening for the first time in the country. Kenya’s third president Mwai Kibaki sent home his ministers after he had lost the 2005 referendum.  

Great step... but

Ruto’s latest move was widely accepted as a precursor to great things. With the stubbornness by government officials now significantly reduced and with the public successfully pushing for the sending of a whole group of mainly obnoxious, braggart Cabinet Secretaries home, the president had made a step in the right direction, many agreed.

Even from opposition, whose members had consistently lambasted him for many decisions, he received rare plaudits. “Sacking all the Cabinet Secretaries is a solid start,” wrote Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna on X immediately after Dr Ruto announced the dismissals.

One question lingered, though: Had the president finally satisfied a considerable amount of demands of a largely disenfranchised electorate? Were the protests now well and truly over? Would they still press for their key demand, for there was one:

Alongside asking for fresh audit of both levels of government, audit of key government agencies, firing of cabinet, reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and an immediate stop to wanton external borrowing, demonstrators had, in one accord, called for the president himself to resign.

But before that, some cogs started falling into place as the wheels of change continued to spin at the breakneck speed the demonstrators had willed. On Friday, Japhet Koome, Inspector General of Police, resigned. A welcome development for many, but the applauding masses were quickly stopped by yet another damper: six bodies stuffed in sacks were discovered at Kware dumpsite near Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums. As thousands milled around the quarry, chants of “Ruto Must Go” rent the air once again, Kenyans’ temporary reprieve seemingly gone in an instant.

Incensed, Dr Mbiti Mwondi wrote on X: “Those bodies being retrieved from a quarry are reason enough for us to shut down this country until the IG, the DCI and the NIS heads go home and people responsible for those deaths are persecuted. We need to amplify the message and take those murderers to The Hague (The International Criminal Court).” 

Suddenly, allegations of a shooting in Githurai on the night of June 25, which had been dismissed by various investigative quarters, were back up again.“We need to have a watertight case against Kithure Kindiki and Japhet Koome. If they get away with the massacre in Githurai, it will be a norm to kill and dump...,” an X user by the name Kenyan Vigilante noted. 

It has been an emotional rollercoaster for the ordinary Kenyan, especially for those greatly invested in the revolution. For many, the feeling is the fire is far from extinguished. A few are convinced the president’s decision to send home his cabinet represents a willingness to change tact in governance of the country.

But the Gen Z’s, lauded for the fearless rally that kickstarted the whole demand for change, still gear to go back to the streets. With the slogan of “Leaderless, partyless and tribeless”, they insist the journey just started, dismissing self-appointed representatives who are fronting themselves to have an opportunistic dialogue with the president at his request.  They have laid out a whole list of ultimatums.

“(We need to) scrap Women Representatives’ positions, reduce MP salaries to Sh200,000 arrest rogue police who shot protesters, remove constituency development fund (CDF) from MPs, reduce ministries to, at most, 15, complete (the persecution and determination of) corruption cases within three months and not years, and arrest and fire corrupt governors,” wrote X user Degrata, signing off with the trending #RutoMustGo. 

A long list of demands

These are not all. There are some who are very unhappy with embassies which drag visa processing for months. Others are asking for audits of every civil servant. Yet others want the former regime to be held accountable for all the monies that disappeared under their watch as a clean-up exercise is backtracked to independence, if possible. 

Activist Eric Omondi says that the government is unnecessarily big and needs proper pruning. “We need a very lean government. I would suggest, ‘Mr President, take your time. When you are ready, if we have to go through a referendum, we have to cut down the number of counties and governors from 47 to 24. Texas, in The US, is a State whose (geographical) size is twice Kenya’s. How could we have a clause in the Finance Bill 2024 that taxes pads yet we have 47 Women Reps? They could not hold a forum and raise their voices- what are they representing- do we need them? We do not...”  

It is not only the furious youth who are calling for a complete dismemberment of the current government. While the president’s supporters were keen to highlight his decision to sack his Cabinet as an opening to appoint spotless, unblemished members, others felt it would have done the country good to do a bit more.

“These three men (Ruto, Mudavadi, Gachagua- who ultimately remained in office) symbolize corruption, incompetence, tyranny and the culture of impunity. They must resign FIRST together with hundreds of the ROTTEN Principal Secretaries, Advisors and senior bureaucrats, hangers on, PAs, etc before we chart the way forward,” outspoken barrister Miguna Miguna wrote on X

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, while demanding the president’s resignation, said that “the fish rots from the head”, feeling the problem is half-solved now.  

What started as a push to have the unfavourable Finance Bill withdrawn has now turned into a fully-fledged movement to right all historical wrongs, and to bring to book those misappropriating public funds. It has scared many and has so far had a great number of casualties, both from the agitators and the targeted leaders.  

Confrontations with the police, which has left many protesters dead or maimed, has only emboldened a movement that is getting more and more followers by the day. The thirst looks unquenchable and the Gen Zs, who courageously pushed the limits to an unprecedented level, especially when they breached parliament to seek legislators’ accountability, now know what they are capable of.  

Emboldened movement

When top leaders’ phone numbers started appearing on social media and the people reached out to them demanding that they reject the Finance Bill, a few of them responded with great disdain. But when thousands breached parliament on June 25, there were trending videos of legislators frantically freeing. They were finally aware that they were within reach of a greatly dissatisfied people.  

There has been a dramatic change of behaviour; the great rift between the electorate and their leaders, at least in communication, has been reduced significantly. A good number of them are now willing to listen and to talk to their people.  

And even for the fired cabinet secretaries, the people are not letting them off the hook easily.“Murkomen was in the final phase of leasing our airports to international crooks and conmen. Until Murkomen is arrested, prosecuted, jailed and forced to return all he has taken from us, we will not rest,” said popular X figure Amerix.  

With The International Monetary Fund (IMF), stuck in the middle of the controversial financial decisions in Kenya, the anger remains. A message from the Official Twitter account of the Spokesperson for The IMF Julie Kozack, where she extended “The IMF’s deepest sympathies to the people affected by recent events in Kenya” and reiterated IMF’s commitment “to help Kenya establish sound macroeconomic fundamentals, crucial for sustainable growth and job creation, especially for the country’s young people” was met with fury by Kenyans.