State capture of Raila won't stop revolution started by Gen Z

Opposition leader Raila Odinga addresses the media after the signing of IEBC bill that was developed from NADCO report into law by President William Ruto. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu said thus: "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat."

President William Ruto knows himself very well. However, his attempt to implement Gen Zs demands by bringing Raila Odinga and the opposition to the table indicates that the president and his government have yet to dissect who Gen Zs are and their expectations.

Methinks gone are the days of capturing the shepherd to immobilise the flock – the Gen Zs have no such a shepherd. When you think you have captured one, they quickly raise another one.

There are many reasons why Ruto needs a diploma to understand millennials and their children, the Gen Z.

First, Gen Z does not care who Raila is. They do not know who he is, where he comes from, or why he should be called Baba. They actually have no concept of a father. Gen Zs are millennials' children. They do not read about Raila and his contributions, even in school textbooks.

They are a pharaoh who has arisen and knows nothing about Joseph's deeds. Gen Z could care less about the history of the so-called liberators of our nation. They do not care about who brought which liberation and whatnot.

Second, Gen Z does not need a political opposition agency to broker power for them to govern. They have no regard for civil society and other self-interest groups.

Immediately, you mess with their interests and goals, it does not matter who you have been. That is why they mercilessly trolled their perceived leader and blogger, Osama Otero, when he supposedly betrayed them after he crusaded against engaging the president on X space.

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Although the motivation to boycott the president's engagement with the Gen Zs on X-Space was not in good faith, their reaction clearly defined who they were. Therefore, their relationship – in all their forms and manifestations – can be precarious and brittle.

Third, Gen Z is known for being carefree in their approach to life. They do not care that their moral ethics differ from those of previous generations.

The former generations were used to saying once Baba is in, they are in. The old order was an order of appropriation of ethnicity, regionalism and cronyism. This past is gone!

On their side, the millennials have exhausted their options with Raila and the opposition. The first time Raila contested the presidency in 1997, the oldest millennial was a minor and not eligible to vote.

The oldest millennials voted for the first time in 2002. At that time, Raila was among the top politicians leading the country out of Moi's 24-year-long regime.

Subsequently, Raila has been leading millennials, and his politics convinced them he was their saviour. After the 2007/2008 post-election violence, which affected the majority of millennials the most, Raila and the opposition were the beneficiaries of the coalition government.

The millennials were duped again in the 2013 General Election when they wanted to control governance. The Uhuruto, which swept the country with a digital versus analogue narrative, was meant to usher in millennials, most of whom were adults and in their voting prime time.

They considered their politics digital and synced with Uhuruto’s and Jubilee's politics. Thereafter, the Jubilee government under Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto turned out to be a total disillusionment for the millennials.

Since Gen Z does not recognise an appointed representative, the best way to pacify them is to make the institutions work for them. Therefore, creating an environment conducive to their survival and thriving is vital.

President Ruto also needs to identify and ignore the institutions and individuals keen to appropriate the Gen Z agenda. The tug of war will continue until the government becomes consistent in dealing with the matters and issues Gen Z raises.