What started as a social media lament against proposed tax hikes escalated into a full-blown breathtaking uprising that changed the country’s political landscape.
From major cities of Nairobi and Mombasa to regional hubs of Kisumu and Eldoret, ‘leaderless and tribeless’ youthful protesters initially converted the streets into vibrant displays of dissent.
The unconventional demonstrators pounced and overwhelmed the country with unprecedented fury and vengeance that culminated in storming the heavily guarded Parliament Buildings on June 25.
They vandalised and set fire to part of the ‘august’ House.
Desperate and exposed MPs, who had just passed the contentious tax law that triggered the demonstrations, fled for their safety as the protesters #OccupiedParliament amid destruction and deaths.
Some demonstrators hunted pro-tax legislators to their upcountry homes.
Many residents barred legislators from setting foot in their constituencies for betraying suffering people by raising taxes.
Many pro-tax MPs demanded police security.
Generation Z led the most profound countrywide protests over what they termed unbearable taxes, ostentatious opulence of state officers and persistent poor governance and corruption.
Gen Z fashioned themselves as leaderless, partyless, tribeless and regionless.
They coordinated their activities online, berating unresponsive state machinery. This was unlike traditional demos led by key political figures.
To this day, we don’t know who is in charge, if anyone. Activists have been abducted and tortured to find out who is behind the movement, to no avail.
“We achieved 20 per cent of what we wanted. At least the Finance Bill was dropped. But what is sad is that the government is back to its normal ways of doing things,” Gen Z activist Wanjiku Stephens said.
She said the demos were meant to send home the entire political leadership – responsible for inflicting economic pain on Kenyans.
“We wanted all those people to go home. We did not leave the streets because Raila decided to support the government. We left the streets because we feared to die. People were being killed, injured and kidnapped. No one would want to go through such suffering.”
Political observer Javas Bigambo said Gen Z threatened the status quo and redefined the country’s politics.
“Gen Z have redefined the political arrangement in the country and brought in new energy. The regime and the political class are now conscious of the young people,” he said.
The demos split the ruling Kenya Kwanza administration down the middle, with then-Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua launching attacks against the country’s intelligence service and blaming it for incompetence and not preventing destructive demonstrations.
The former DP, in what observers said came to haunt him in his historic impeachment, was implicated in the demos.
His allies have been probed over their possible role in the demos to discredit his adversary, President William Ruto.
“Had the National Intelligence Service briefed the President two months ago about how the people feel about the Finance Bill, 2024, so many Kenyans would not have died, property would not have been destroyed, offices would not have been destroyed. There would have been no mayhem, but they slept on the job,” Gachagua told a press conference in Mombasa.
Gen Z coordinated their protests on social media, especially WhatsApp groups and Telegram, before releasing their programme of action on X, Instagram and other platforms.
The techno-savvy demonstrators leveraged social media to lobby and popularise their plans through trending hashtags, beating the security agencies – keen to crack down on them – at their own game.
“Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday are days of the mothers of all demonstrations. We are ready for Tuesday and Sunday,” an X user posted.
The Finance Bill, whose passage by MPs triggered the protests, included a significant increase in taxes on essential goods and services, including mobile data, digital transactions, bread, and sanitary pads.
“Despite our collective cry rejecting the Finance Bill, Parliament gave ‘Zakayo’ the right to do wrong to 54 million Kenyans. We reject the Finance Bill in its entirety,” a protester posted on X.
The state responded with several concessions – including the withdrawal of the Finance, sacking the entire Cabinet except for Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and cracking down on the ‘invisible’ planners.
Some who stepped down got other government jobs, some were reinstated.
The demos that were initially peaceful later turned chaotic amid infiltration as the government unleashed excessive force and rounded up organisers.
The government also blamed criminal elements for polluting the protests and destroying property.
“People were angry at us because every weekend, helicopters crisscrossed the skies, all of them going to functions where millions were being dished out,” Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale said.
At least 60 protesters were killed, several injured and others abducted allegedly by state agencies keen to establish the faces behind the protests.
State and private property of unknown value was destroyed across the country, especially in major towns as goons invaded what were otherwise peaceful and well-coordinated protests.
Businesses were brought to a standstill countrywide, with traders declaring billions of shillings in losses over the period.
“It was never the Finance Bill. It was simply that the Finance Bill was a trigger. Why? Because public servants are very corrupt and people hate this and people are angry,” Khalwale said.
For at least four months – May, June, July and August – the youths braved state intimidation, arrests, and abductions of influencers to sustain the demos against the regime as they demanded the resignation of President William Ruto.
Songs replaced stones, and social media hashtags such as #OccupyEldoret #ZakayoMustFall and @ GoHomeNow fuelled mobilisation.
Placards carried messages such as “Zakayo must fall” and “Reject, not amend”, reflecting deep dissatisfaction with the Finance Bill.
When it was passed, all hell broke loose.
“From Eldoret to Nairobi, Garissa to Nyeri, Kisumu to Nyeri, Nanyuki to the State House gates in Nakuru and Nairobi, as well as many other places, you have been conscientious protesters against the Finance Bill, 2024,” Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka said at the height of the demos.
Not even President Ruto’s climbdown on key issues and historic decision to engage furious protesters on X-Space could persuade them otherwise.
Key social media influencers who were raided over the demos included Gabriel Oguda, a newspaper columnist and activist; Boniface Mwangi, a prominent Kenyan activist and photojournalist, and Shad Khalif, a software developer.
Others were Osama Otero, a content creator, comedian, and social media influencer; Drey Mwangi, a digital content creator, Avugwi Chagusia, Chebet Kirui, Brian Nzavi Ngula, Harriet Nyongesa, and Ernest Nyerere.
“Do we really matter as people who elected you? I’m pissed off. Guys, go back and reflect,” cameraman Miller, who said he had witnessed a protester being shot dead outside Parliament, told the President.
The demos transcended regional, political, ethnic, social, and economic boundaries.
They reflected a growing concern among Kenyans about the high cost of living, persistent governance issues, corruption, foreign debt and an increasing inflation rate.
Besides withdrawing the Finance Bill, Ruto, in an extraordinary move, sacked all his Cabinet secretaries.
The President barred all civil servants from participating in harambees and slashed the number of government advisers.
In the end, Ruto was forced to form a broad-based government – bringing on board key opposition figures in what radically changed the country’s political arrangement.
To steady the boat, Ruto reached out to his fierce critic, opposition chief Raila Odinga, who previously led furious protests against his regime.
“Raila and I agreed (to work together). You know there was a time I helped Raila and this time round he has helped me. Why should anyone find a problem with that?” Ruto recently asked while addressing a very large crowd in Kondele.
The Ruto-Raila deal coupled with the Gachagua impeachment has triggered political realignments ahead of the 2027 polls. Gachagua – a lonely figure outside government – is crafting an alliance with Kalonzo alongside other disgruntled Azimio figures to take on the Ruto-Raila axis in the next polls.
More Gen Z-inspired changes are
likely to come.
