What is the next course of action for Gen Zs after euphoric victory

KDF officers patrol along Moi Avenue on Thursday, June 27, 2024, when protesters demonstrating for the resignation of President William Ruto engaged police in a day long running battle. [Collins Kweyu,Standard]

After a euphoric week of dictating the government’s agenda, thousands of young Kenyans who took to the street to oppose the punitive taxes were on Thursday unsure of the next course of action. 

Generation Z (Gen Z) were undecided whether to revel in their biggest triumph yet of forcing President William Ruto to publicly disown the Finance Bill he had so actively campaigned for or to press on and try to force the administration out of power. 

Using the X platform, participants spent hours arguing over the Road to Statehouse protests, a scenario that escalated to the formation of splinter groups amongst them.

The exchange of views on different X Spaces came after President Ruto in his address to the nation, gave in to pressure and refused to assent to the Finance Bill, 2024.

According to their itinerary, they were to proceed with the protests Thursday in a bid to occupy State House and demand President William Ruto to resign.

However, one side of the faction of which Hanifa Adan was part of, advised against the “ill move’’ since it would result to bloodshed and loss of lives as witnessed during earlier protests.

“Like we said, this has no leaders and everyone is deciding for themselves but I’m against marching to State House, we have lost a lot of people, can we honour them first?” she posted on X.

Khalif Kairo, an entrepreneur who is vocal on the platform and was instrumental during the protests, urged the youth to take the President Ruto decision to withdraw the controversial bill as a win for them, and going forward, he urged them to consider Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s call for dialogue. “I feel like we have had a very big win. We should give dialogue a chance while allowing the President to act on our grievances,” he said.

Meanwhile, a faction of Gen Z still determined to continue with the protests, accused some of them being paid to betray their cause. This group viewed the President’s move to withdraw the Bill as too little too late and advocated for his removal.

In a bid to convince everyone to hit the streets for the anti-government protests, some X Spaces participants pointed out the atrocities meted by police officers on peaceful and unarmed young Kenyans whose mistakes they say, was to ask the President why the political class was increasingly getting wealthier at the expense of the taxpayers.

However, in their unity of purpose, a total of 31,070 people contributed Sh22.11million in support of the victims of violence meted on them during the process. 

The funds raised through a mobile money platform are expected to be used to clear hospital bills for those injured during the protests and for funeral arrangements for the fallen comrades.

“The money is for burials and hospital bills. After paying the bills, the families will get the money too,” Adan posted.