The recent Generation Z led revolt in Kenya has produced positive results to demonstrate that democracy is a continuum when it comes to delivery of services to the public. From a theoretical perspective the Gen Z have open new doors to interpreting the meaning of democracy. A Kenyan political scientist, Afrifa Gitonga, [1988] leads other scholars in making the case, because democracy as a process must deliver for all to enjoy the public good. Those who follow similar school of thought are Seva Gunitsky, John Markoff, Renske Doorenspleet, and Chomsky, who maintain that a nation is only democratic to the degree that government policy reflects informed public opinion. They refer to features of democracy to include freedom of assembly, association, personal property, freedom of religion and speech, citizenship, consent of the governed, voting rights, freedom from unwarranted governmental deprivation of the right to life and liberty, and minority rights.
The Gen Z of Kenya are well educated lot. They can see what democracy is all about and why the government cannot deliver on its promises. This Gen Z is a restless lot, frustrated by the failure of the current government to keep pre-2022 national election promises. The presidential candidate and the leaders from his political party promised jobs, low taxation, equal share of national resources, fight impunity and promote equity and equitability across every Kenyan.
These promises were short lived. They increased taxes, they cut, cut and cut essential services that benefited the very people who voted for them. They added new taxes to purportedly raise more funds for the common good, instead of doing that the elected MPs were arrogant and carelessly flouting their wealth in public, believed to have been looted from public funds. The final straw that broke the camel’s back was the sheer arrogance with an ‘l do not care attitude’. The Kenyan Government forced Parliament to pass through the punitive finance bill 2024. The Yes vote was 196 and No 105. Almost like French Revolution 1789 the anger of tb public surged and the youthful Gen Z crowd invaded Parliament. The president hastily beat a retreat and withdrew the bill.
The Kenya Gen Z is a group of energetic and spirited youth who have followed the politics of Kenya with raw enthusiasm. They are a good mix of mostly Church frequenters and Mosque goers. They subscribe to no ethnic groupings of their parents nor to any religious dominance. As a matter of fact, they tolerate every faith and the faithless. This is a break away from the usual teachings in places of worship reminding the faithful on the love of God to humanity; to explain why keeping peace, harmony and tolerance build a great nation. This is the message the clergy, pastors and Imams would tell their followers that as faith institutions they cannot preach hatred, division nor propagate war against those they hate. Albert Einstein supported democracy where he believed in the importance of individual freedom and the need for a democratic government to ensure the well-being of society is its ultimate goal.
Religious had run out of steam to share what Einstein wanted society to do. The Gen Z listened but faulted the religious leaders for their failure to hold the government accountable to the electorate. The Gen Z were allowed to stand in Churches, worship centres to speak from the heart. They were able to tell priests, pastors, imams and elders that they mean well with preachings. The religious leaders meant well when they prayed and promoted peace among all people. But the religious leaders forget that the God of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Hosea and Jesus himself preached a social justice agenda that liberates and leads to transformation. The religious leaders had forgotten that over emphasis on good things that do not harm anyone breed comfortability and conformity to the uncaring system. These leaders pray, sing the love of God but close their eyes to pain, cover their ears to cries of hunger, unemployment, lawlessness and high impunity from the high handedness of the state. The religious leaders and community elders tend to shut up when they are needed most. The Gen Z tearfully said.
The youth assembled a week later at the Catholic Holy Family Minor Basilica in Nairobi. They had mass to pray for the nation with the Archbishop of Nairobi, His Grace Phillip Anyolo and his auxiliary Bishop Kamomoe. They shared their frustrations to the Church leaders for not listening to these very things affecting them. The Catholic Church has been known to be the vanguard for multiparty democracy in Kenya since 1990. They were part of Ufungamano ecumenism dialogue team for a better Kenya in 1980s to present. The Gen Z are children of peasant farmers, pastoralists, teachers, MPs, judges, pastors, retired civil servants, who feel Kenya can do better than most countries of Africa if the once vibrant parents could reignite that spirit of winds of Change famously attributed to Harold McMillan in 1960s while visiting South African parliament in Cape Town.
What are the lessons learnt about the Gen Z youths in Kenya? Who were they? They are University graduates, and the jobless many, a mix of strong believers in social justice with transparency, accountability, participative dialogue, rule of law as key to good governance. They have been infected by the germ of opposition politics in Kenya and demand for liberation theology fueled by demand for social justice.
This movement emerged the moment the de facto opposition leader Rt Hon Raila Odinga exited the scenes after trying to be president of Kenya six times. Each time he lost later it was learnt votes meant for him were always stolen. His stand was peaceful demand for reforms. In the general election of 2022, everyone in Kenya believed he won. In Raila Odinga: An Enigma in Kenyan Politics by Babafemi A. Badejo shows why democracy requires patience but persistently.
The Enigma book reviewed by: Susanne D. Mueller, helps us to learn why the pains of a democratic process require patience. You do not buy democracy in a shopping mall nor in a supermarket but it is the people with the desire for the common good that shape the democractisation process.
Therefore, the youth have taken over to fight for themselves what RT Hon. Raila Odinga used to do.
The unbalanced understanding of the gap between Parliament and ordinary people became the driving force. MPs who voted YES had been attacked and stopped from attending any public events. The youth speaking in Churches were passing the message the clergy telling them not to bury heads in the sand while the country burnt, slid into intolerance, corruption and rewards culture. The Church teaches social justice but keeps quiet not to antagonize the state. The youth were now telling the religious leaders to fight for them.
But to the chagrin of the youth, the clergy were getting pocketed by politicians through handouts in what is called by Paul Collier (2009) politics of neopatrimonialism. This is when politicians would buy the church leader thought expensive gifts like a new Prado, house or when you have to build a school, church, politicians rub your back forcing you to keep quiet. The Gen Z have said no to neopatrimonialism. Messages coming from citizens of countries surrounding Kenya reminded the government of Kenya how many have of their people had invested in Kenya because Kenya continued to demonstrate democracy can work for all by first observing rule of law and pursuance of justice. Gen Z refer to the foreign investors to say Kenya cannot go that path of impunity coated with lawlessness. The Genz remind the government that investment brings good fortune to the nation. Then why would anyone raise taxes to punish the poor despite the heavy investment in Kenya? Raising taxes to satiate the appetite of the greedy few destroys a nation.
Lastly, the youth are becoming the new opposition. The fearless drive by de facto opposition chief Raila Odinga over the years has taught the youth to take centre stage on war against injustice. Secondly, the Gen Z have learnt nonviolence endears them to the public support. So, the stand taken by the opposition chief and former Prime Minister to help his enemy, the current president stabilise the government infuriated many, confused scholars and journalists who still live in the old model that once you lose an election you continue fighting the state even if they drift into the bush to lead a guerrilla warfare. These types of thinkers would not fit in the Gen Z mindset. Praying for your enemies to fail goes against gospel values. It is better to pray repentance than praying for violence. Raila reminded Kenyans that when the military takes over, that freedom the journalists have, that freedom the press enjoys would go too. When the military takes over in Africa means a ticket to rule for life. We see countries around Kenya have presidents who rule for life.
The Gen Z kindness was gospellike. They were seen giving first aid to injured officers, they shared drink water with their tormentors, embraced the army and police officers by taking selfies. They demanded peaceful solutions not to use the gun. They embraced dialogue for a brighter Kenya. This approach by the Gen Z received unwavering accolades by over 90% of Kenyans who stood by them.
The conclusion is that preaching without action to end injustice is a greater impunity to a young growing nation. Most developed nations have been able to hold they governments accountable to them. There are many lessons across the modern world which can inspire the Kenya Gen Z and the continent of Africa: for instance, people of the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavian countries, USA and many others have become first world nations by making sure all public funds are distributed to services that benefit all. They can ensure access to schools, health care, infrastructure development, pay just salaries, and help the unemployed, the disabled, the elderly lead healthy lives.These are the values the Gen Z want articulated in Kenya by the government.
There is also caution to demonstrators that a mob by itself cannot rule nor control power. History teaches us that this leads to anarchy, destruction and death to the very ideals they were fighting for. Max Weber viewed democratic ideal as an ideal for freedom, where freedom is continuously constituted by meaningful action, guided by substantive rationality. Where there is no sustainability of direct democracy in a country like Kenya, this action may not be a realizable ideal for everyone.
The Gen Z spirit lives on. It transforms our democracy to work teleologically for the common good of all people.