Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday night took to TikTok to engage the young generation in a new strategy to woo the youth.
Gachagua’s latest move is seen as part of his elaborate and multi-pronged strategy to reach out to the Gen Zs seen as a bloc that could sway the 2027 polls.
TikTok’s flexibility in embracing raw content creation without stringent rules has made it popular for politicians across the world to engage their supporters.
The former DP’s approach is a departure from his hitherto
traditional way of communication including print and electronic media.
Gachagua urged the government to ensure that young
people are issued ID cards to enable them to enrol as voters in the 2027
polls.
“We are calling upon the international community to put
pressure so that we have the IEBC constituted so that it can start voter
registration and prepare for the next general election,’’ Gachagua said.
The Gen Zs and millennials, a massive segment that is the heart of 2027 preparations by political bigwigs were behind the wave of anti-government protests last year.
During his Thursday debut on TikTok, Gachagua responded to
several questions ranging from Universal Health Coverage and the Social Health Authority and the new university
education Funding Model.
He also spoke at length about President William Ruto's promises and ongoing tour of Western Kenya.
Gachagua, however, faced numerous interruptions on the platform hosted by content creator Kuira wa Kabiru and moderated by some others.
The engagement lasted for two hours as hundreds of users posed questions and sought clarification about his fallout with President Ruto and his assessment of the country’s situation.
The former DP’s new outreach campaign on TikTok captures the growing influence of social media and digital platforms in political communication.
At the height of the Gen Z protests, President Ruto
went to the X space to engage the youths where he promised to address their
issues.
Ruto later unveiled a raft of measures including the dissolution of the Cabinet and radical austerity measures.
