Restless youth raise pressure despite Ruto's concessions

When hundreds of youths staged demonstrations against the government on July 16, 2024. [Denis Kibuchi, Standard] The Generation Zs (Gen Zs) are on the streets today protesting with new demands, despite President William Ruto conceding to most of the grievances they raised last month. The country's youngest adults are now calling for the rejection of nominated Cabinet Secretaries, accusing the President of recycling old faces in Cabinet. Additionally, they are demanding the recall of US Ambassador Meg Whitman, accusing her of "selling Kenya to the West," and the resignation of President Ruto. In a bid to quell the unrest that started last month, Ruto declined to sign the controversial Finance Bill 2024 into law and sent it back to Parliament asking deletion of all clauses. The protests, which saw participants storm Parliament, resulted in numerous injuries and fatalities. Despite Dr Ruto's initial concessions, the Gen Z protesters seem not to have been appeased and continue to press for further changes. In response, Ruto announced a series of austerity measures aimed at reducing government expenditure across various state departments, including his own office on June 26. He proposed cuts on operational expenditure, eliminated the confidential vote, and reduced expenses related to travel, hospitality, motor vehicles and renovations. The President directed Parliament, the Judiciary, and county governments to collaborate with the Treasury to implement budget cuts, emphasising the importance of "living within our means" in line with the public's demands. To streamline government functions, Ruto dissolved 47 state corporations with overlapping responsibilities, suspended the hiring of Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS), and ordered a 50 per cent reduction in the number of government advisers. He also eliminated the budgets for the Offices of the First Lady, the Second Lady, and the Spouse of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, halved the budget for government renovations, and mandated the immediate retirement of civil servants aged 60 and above. The purchase of new motor vehicles for government use was suspended for one year, except for security agencies, and all non-essential travel by State officers was halted. Ruto also signed the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Bill, enabling the recall of Members of Parliament unresponsive to their electorate's concerns, and dropped the controversial Land Amendment Bill. Despite these measures, the Gen Z protesters remain dissatisfied. On June 11, Ruto took another step by dissolving his entire cabinet, sending home all Cabinet Secretaries and the Attorney General.The only CS who survived the purge was Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who also serves as the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs CS. Ruto promised that the new Cabinet was to be formed after extensive consultations across all sectors, but the appointments he made last week did not placate the protesters. Today, as the Gen Z walk back onto their crusade, their new demands highlight their continued frustration with the government. They accuse the newly nominated Cabinet of being a mere reshuffle of old faces, failing to bring about the desired change. Their call for increased accountability and an end to corruption underscores a broader discontent with the state of governance. The demand for the recall of Whitman, they say, is a way of growing nationalism and a desire for greater sovereignty in Kenya's international relations. Today's planned protests are expected to be another significant test for President Ruto. The persistence of the Gen Z move demonstrates their determination to hold the government accountable and push for systemic reforms. The demand for the recall of Ambassador Whitman reflects a growing nationalism and desire for greater sovereignty in Kenya's international relations. This week's protests are expected to be another significant test for President Ruto after his warning on Sunday. Speaking in Bomet, the President said he would be firm in protecting Kenyans against what he termed as a tyranny of violence perpetrated by faceless, formless anarchists keen on replacing democracy with dictatorship. "Kenya is a democracy and a peaceful country. We must never, as a country, agree to replace our democracy with a dictatorship and tyranny of faceless, anonymous people," said Ruto.

Restless youth raise pressure despite Ruto's concessions

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Restless youth raise pressure despite Ruto's concessions

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