The Gen Z Revolution of 2024

The Gen Z revolution is a grassroots movement that created a series of Demonstrations and online activism in Kenya aimed at bringing change in public leadership. The movement termed the Gen-Z Movement about many of its members being part of the disenfranchised Generation Z.

The revolution was sparked by the Finance Bill protests. Soon the GenZ movement started making Gen-Z Demands for change in the state of their country. They stayed on the streets and made petitions to get their message across. What made the Gen-Z demonstrations into a revolution was the movement's discipline and focus on the issues unlike past demonstrations that were organized and politicians and focused on getting political seats.

Organization and the People

Gez Protest was organized on social media such as X, Telegram TikTok , and Instagram. It is on the X spaces primarily that protestors could martial resources such as donations, water, medical teams, and the issues that would be put at the forefront. There was massive mobilisation online with everyone out to explain how the government had failed. Some of the celebrities were coerced to join the movement otherwise their social media account would be reported by the digital army. Due to the grassroots nature of the movement the government tried to accuse the protesters of being funded by politicians, Civil society groups, and the Illuminati.

While the protest movement that agitaed for the revolution is known as the Gen Z Movement it also includes Millenials, Generation Z and other Kenyans of goodwill from other generations. In fact, the most popular characters in the movement are the millennials who host the X spaces. The movement transcends party lines, tribe and political affiliations.The Gen Z movement has styled itself as leaderless, tribeless, and partyless. Nonetheless, there are some Gen Z and millennials who tried to hijack the movement such as Khalif Kairo, Anini Wafula, and Kasmuel MCoure. These individuals used the movement momentum to get interviews on TV at the expense of the Gen Z agenda and were denounced online.

Gen Z demands

The movement was initially galvanized on the issue of the finance bill. However, what began as the Kenya Finance Bill Protests quickly spiraled to activists on issues such as:

• Rejection of the Finance bill
• End the Impunity and disregard of the 2010 Kenyan Constitution and the rule of law
• Reconstitute IEBC
• Dismiss Cabinet
• Pull public funding for the Office of the First Lady, Second Lady, and Prime Cabinet Secretary's Spouse
• Rein in on Debt
• Rejection of the Land Bill of 2023,
• End Police brutality
• Reduction of Salaries
• Fight Corruption, and opulence by state officers
• Remind leaders that they represent the people hence they need to listen to the people

Methods used by the Movement

The Gen Z movement was very effective in communication by using all social media platforms to pass information. One of the most important methods was

social media mobilization through posters, videos, and posts

A flyer on the oncoming "Occupy JKIA" event

Any aggrieved Kenyan was allowed to voice their voice on the state of the nation, especially the finance bill. Anonymous posters were created and spread on the demonstration dates and other activities such as visiting the wounded demonstrators.

X was the most popular place for discord with millions of tweets using the hashtags #RejectFinanceBill and #RutoMustGo. There were also X spaces hosted by Osama Otero and Kimuzi to discuss the status of abducted demonstrators, raise funds for medical bills, getting doctors and lawyers on call to help injured and arrested demonstrators. Otero's Space was so popular that it reached over 100k listeners. Some people wanted Gen Z to summon the president and tell him the issues that were wrong with the country. Eventually, Big Voices managed to force a consensus that the president could not be hosted. Nonetheless, he was hosted by Osama Otero.

Salamu

Before the Finance Bill protests the was a leak of MPs' phone numbers. The people took the opportunity to send Salamu (English: greetings) to their representative in the National Assembly. In this method, the people implored their MPs to reject the finance bill through calls, Texts, and WhatsApp messages .

After the Members of the National Assembly passed the bill the Salamu escalated to assault of some of the members of the National Assembly, burning of their property, and visits to their homes. Some of the affected MPs include Kuria Kimani.

Concerts

The people of Kenya organized concerts to commemorate the fallen heroes and talk about the planned demos.

Demonstrations/Protests/Occupations

Once the digital activist was not bearing fruits Gen Z went on the streets armed with phones, water bottles, and placards for the Kenya Finance Bill Protests and later revolutionary protests. The Demonstrations were just a sparkle to ignite a flame of revolution.

Most of the demonstrations were centered around occupying the most vital parts of the country. Some of the most successful and peaceful demonstrations and occupations were the Occupy CBD, Occupy Parliament, and Occupy JKIA.

Results

What the political class had termed as digital wankers surprised the nation by pulling up the most peaceful and nationwide demonstrations in Kenya. The demonstrations were held all over Kenya on Tuesday and Thursday starting from 16 June. initially, the government ignored the protest and the youth remained peaceful. However, the point-blank shooting of Rex Kanyike Masai created a rallying call that culminated in the largest demonstration that led to the breach of the Parliament of Kenya on June 25, 2024.

On the evening of June 25, 2024, a fuming President William Ruto addressed the nation calling the protestors treasonous. However, due to public pressure, the Gez Revolution was able to get a lot of concessions from the president later on. Some of the Bog wins include:

Withdrawing of the Finance Bill

The youth were on the street to petition parliament to #RejectTheFinaceBill2024. Unfortunately, the Members of the National Assembly refused to listen to the people. By the time the demonstrators reached parliament, the legislators had passed the bill waiting on presidential assent. But after two weeks of protest and breach of parliament, President William Ruto reluctantly referred the bill to parliament for withdrawal. The National Assembly of Kenya is currently on recess and the process is yet to start.

President Joins X Space to Listen

After a lot of pressure from all quarters, the President of Kenya withdrew the finance bill and arranged an X space where Kenyans aired their grievances on the 2-hour space. The president left the space on the pretext he needed to meet the Olympic team that was heading to the 2024 Olympics. On the space, the people made it clear that he had to fire the whole cabinet, fight corruption, be honest, and end police brutality, among many issues.

Pulling Funding from unconstitutional offices

One of the first major wins the Gez received along with the withdrawal of the controversial finance bill was the scraping of budgets from the unconstitutional offices of the First Lady of Kenya, the Second Lady of Kenya, and the office of the spouse of the Prime Cabinet Secretary.

Dismissing Cabinet

President William Ruto made headlines by being the first president under the 2010 constitution to sack all his cabinet. This was after Gen Z told the president the wishes of the nation were not a reshuffle but a full firing of the cabinet which was accused of incompetence and corruption.

Despite the president firing his cabinet on Thursday, July 11, 2024 he unceremoniously nominated 6 of the fired cabinet secretaries in the first batch of 11 cabinet secretaries.

Resignation of the Inspector General

Due to the police brutality, police abduction of peaceful protesters, and extra-judicial killing of the protesters. Due to some pressure, the police released some of the detained and abducted protesters without any charges. Nonetheless, the National Police Service continued to abduct Kenyans and kill demonstrators indiscriminately and with impunity without any action taken against the perpetrators. many families are still looking for their kin who were abducted by police with some finding their relatives slain all over the country.

It was apparent that the National police service failed at its job to protect the rights of Kenyans especially the property and life of Kenyans. It was therefore no surprise that Inspector General Koome resigned when the Cabinet secretaries got fired.

Putting a stop to Harambes and Church donations by state officers and public officers

Another thorny issue that was articulated to the president was the opulence displayed by public officials who got into power poor and were now seen displaying opulence and giving their ill-gotten health in Harambbes. The president banned all state and public officials from engaging in the funds drive or harambees. ironically three days later he was seen promising to build a church after the decree.

Way Forward

The Gen Z revolution is ongoing. They are continuing with peaceful protests, engaging their representatives, and occupying the church. Gen Z demands a new Kenya that provides opportunities to all as enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya. More people are on the street with the Call: Ruto must Go as the political class has been seen as the source of all the problems.