Hell hath no fury like Gen Z overtaxed by Zakayo

Protestors protesting in Nairobi on June 20, 2024, against the Finance Bill 2024. [Denis Kibuchi, Standard]

I'm not exactly Shakespeare when it comes to quoting myself, but some time ago, I made a bold prediction that the 'Nakulobotove' generation would one day run this nation. And lo and behold!, they did it last week, on a fine Tuesday. When Kenyans stormed the streets to protest the punitive Finance Bill, a sizeable number of demonstrators were kids born after Moi had been given the boot.

Old geezers who have seen it all were shocked by their sheer audacity. When the cops arrested them, they kept belting out liberation songs in the police Land Cruiser as if it were their personal karaoke booth. And when they got to the police station, instead of dialing their lawyers, they asked for a chat with the OCS. If that's not guts, I don't know what is. This generation has often been labeled lazy and entitled. We older 'bazus' see them as spoiled brats. And when they speak up about issues, we meet them with an eye roll or a knowing sigh, inwardly saying, "We've been there."