The unconventional youth-led protests, the historic impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua as Deputy President and the rollout of the controversial Taifa Care are among the key events that shaped political conversations in the country.
The youths, commonly known as Generation Z or Gen Z, took the country by storm with their unprecedented rage that caught the government and the political class off-balance.
What started as a mere social media lamentation over the controversial Finance Bill, 2024, spiralled into a full-blown revolt that saw the protesters storm the highly guarded Parliament Buildings.
Fashioning themselves as leaderless, partyless, regionless and tribeless, the youths coordinated and executed perhaps the severest countrywide protests.
They coordinated their activities on social media, outmaneuvering security agencies keen to crack down on them.
“It was a year of simmering anger and frustrations resulting from inequality, corruption and the status quo. The protests were just a catalyst of what was to come and what has been happening,” activist Hanifa Adan said.
Besides the Finance Bill, the youths protested against the high cost of living, corruption, opulence by state officers and governance issues.
Eventually, they prevailed on President William Ruto to withdraw the Bill. In addition, the head of state sacked the entire Cabinet save for Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and barred civil servants from participating in harambees.
This happened as the state launched a massive crackdown on social media influencers and key figures captured leading the demos.
At least 60 people were killed, several injured and others kidnapped as security agencies sought to establish the orchestrators and financiers of the protests.
In the end, the President struck a deal with his fierce political rival, opposition chief Raila Odinga, birthing the broad-based government.
The then ODM leader then released his key lieutenants to join Ruto’s Cabinet.
They included his two deputy party leaders Hassan Joho (Mining), Wycliffe Oparanya (Co-Operatives), former ODM chairman John Mbadi (Treasury) and former National Assembly Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi (Energy).
Later, the President admitted that Raila came to the rescue in his hour of need. “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?” the President said while addressing a mammoth crowd in Kondele.
The protests split the Kenya Kwanza administration, with then DP Gachagua launching a scathing attack on the country’s intelligence service boss for failing prevent the demos.
The state agencies implicated Gachagua’s key allies in the protests that were initially peaceful but turned chaotic and deadly in the succeeding days amid infiltration.
In what would come to haunt him months later, he was unceremoniously impeached by Parliament, becoming the first DP to go through that process under the 2010 Constitution.
The lawmakers found Gachagua guilty of several violations, including fanning negative tribalism and subordinating the President in a motion sponspored by little-known Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse of Maendeleo Chap Chap party.
Gachagua’s several court petitions to save his job failed and the courts allowed Parliament to prosecute the case.
The courts also allowed the swearing-in of then Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki as his successor.
Gachagua’s removal has apparently dirtied the waters for Ruto in Mt Kenya, triggering an unexpected reunion between the President and his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta.
A fortnight ago, Ruto made a surprise visit to Uhuru’s rural home in Ichaweri in Gatundu in what was loaded with political undertones.
Political observers interpreted the meeting as a strategy to solidify Ruto’s influence in the Mt Kenya region.
“The political class is threatened. They must come together for their survival. For Ruto, Mt Kenya is [slipping off his hands] after removing Gachagua. That is why he has to look for Uhuru,” political observer Martin Andati said.
TAIFA CARE AND UNIVERSITY FUNDING MODEL
The rollout of the controversial Taifa Care, the new university funding model and the affordable housing programme also dominated the political scene this year.
The government ushered in the new Social Health Insurance Authority, ending years of the National Health Insurance Fund that was dogged by massive graft.
However, the new programme has run into headwinds, with Kenyans lamenting about denial of services amid calls for its scrapping.
However, the President has remained firm that the health programme is an equaliser that will see all Kenyans get medical services irrespective of their social and financial status.
“I want to assure the country that the challenges of fraud and corruption that bedevilled the NHIF will never be part of our universal healthcare plan as long as I am in charge,” he said.
The government has also defended the new university funding model after an outcry by students about its effectiveness and fairness.
Several students have lamented that they were placed in the wrong bands – where their parents are forced to pay a huge chunk of the fees from their pockets – a move that threatens to thwart their academic dreams.
However, the state has provided an avenue for an appeal for the more than 26,000 students who complained about being placed in the wrong bands.
The new model uses a means testing instrument to gauge the student’s financial needs.
“The data provided by the students was validated through other government agencies and systems. The application system is integrated into other government databases that include KUCCPS (Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service), the integrated population registration system,” Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said.
The affordable housing programme initiated two years ago has also remained controversial, even as the government continues to defend it.
In Parliament, the lawmakers came under fierce criticism for being unresponsive to the plight of Kenyans.
A report by Mzalendo Trust, a parliamentary watchdog, delivered a harsh verdict on the performance of the august House during the year.
The organisation said Parliament is increasingly becoming “insensitive and unresponsive.”
The MPs, the report says, have disregarded Kenyans’ input in the passage of crucial bills and motions, triggering discontent amid a widening rift between the needs of Kenyans’ and those of MPs.
“Whilst there has been an increase in legislative output this year in the form of Bills, Kenyans’ sentiments and needs continue to be pushed to the periphery, especially in key legislations,” the Mzalendo report adds.
The organisation highlighted several instances where Parliament passed bills that disregarded citizen inputs, voting in a way that does not represent the wishes of citizens and attempting to weaken constitutional provisions through introductions of bills and amendments to existing legislations.
And despite the growing concerns, citizens’ voices remain muted in legislative priorities, with Parliament incessantly failing to align its work with electorate’s needs and aspirations.
“The report notes that public participation remains a challenge, due to the lack of a clear framework on what constitutes meaningful participation,” the report says.
For example, the report notes discrepancies between the period provided for citizen inputs for different bills, ranging between three days and 20 days in the National Assembly, and three days and 24 days in the Senate.
Worryingly, the Bills that have elicited high citizen interest seem to attract the lowest participation timelines.
They include the Digital Health Bill, for example, which had a public participation window of three days in the Senate and the Social Health Insurance Bill had a public participation window of seven days in the National Assembly
