Gen Z's dream shouldn't get lost amid ongoing political changes

Anti-government protest along Kenyatta Avenue, Nairobi, July 26, 2024. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The political events in Kenya shift so fast that one day you are in hell, another day you are in no man’s land and the next day you are in heaven. We have been in hell for the last two months.

We have lost young people who came out of their shells to articulate what they believe are socio-political ills in their country. Others are nursing wounds. Others are in bad shape mentally not knowing what to do next. This picture is best captured by the memorial events taking place such as the one that happened in Nakuru County last Sunday.

The focus has shifted from the Gen Z grievances to the composition of the proposed Cabinet and whether the suggested names from both the government and Opposition will pass the vetting. Parliament itself has little credibility in standing for national values and public interest. By and large, the proposed names might go through some sort of House cleansing to get approval. After all, the very honorable members who have been shouting themselves hoarse on the wickedness of the government side, are appetising themselves for the high-level government offices.

But, even more curious is how Raila Odinga completely lost the plot this time. Yes, he has gained plenty of political mileage by joining the Kenya Kwanza government. For one, voters, especially from the Mountain who defied former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s advice and voted for the Kenya Kwanza government are in total disbelief that the man from the lake who was not supposed to ever step in State House is right in there. Politically speaking, that is no mean achievement by all standards.

Second, Raila was supposed to be a spent force. But, look he has once again, bargained himself into the very political coalition that broadcast in daylight that Handshake and Nusu Mkate manenos were the worst political mistakes that happened in Kenyan politics. To have a whole political system eat humble pie, cut its bread, and share it with the perceived “finished man” is something that will give a political giant a lot of good sleep. Regardless of what diehard supporters might think, taking the political game to the opponent and scoring big is a sweet knockout.

However, we have to separate the turn-around political beast, with nine lives and probably more, Raila, who has often emerged from the ashes to light the strongest political fires in the country over decades from the one who has joined Kenya Kwanza. The former makes him the fairy-tale symbolic fighter for people's freedoms, better distribution of national resources, and fair political play. The latter Raila who has, for probably justified reasons, become the missing piece of the “broad government of National Unity” has left many of his supporters wounded and feeling wasted. While it is true that President William Ruto too has left some of his erstwhile supporters bitter and licking their wounds, the Raila wing has been in the trenches too long to just wake up and head to the table of the opponent.

The Gen Z protest pushed us to start thinking about what is wrong in our political system. As a result, we have made a quick cycle and returned to enkindling ethnic rivalries, memories of political contestations during presidential election outcomes, appointments based on shareholder capitation, and now staring at a new political battlefront on who sits in government.

Political events will continue to unravel in quite unexpected ways as we have seen in the past decade. But it will be a tragedy if we sweep under the carpet the Gen Z agenda. The strategies that have been adopted in response to the Gen Z grievances are somewhat lukewarm. These young people have paid the ultimate price - with their lives. They are mourning their comrades. The adults in government and positions of power should be humane and parental enough to keep the voices of the children in the streets forever in their minds. The juicy political events of today should not bury the dreams of Gen Z for a better Kenya.

Dr Mokua is the executive director of Loyola Centre for Media and Communication