Dear Salome Kamau ,

To address the Gen Z protests humanely, Kenyan leadership must first acknowledge the legitimacy of the grievances raised by young people and open transparent channels for dialogue. This involves listening actively to concerns around unemployment, corruption, and lack of accountability, without dismissing or criminalizing dissent. Leaders should engage youth representatives in structured forums and town halls where they can freely express their demands. Establishing independent commissions to review police conduct during protests and implementing reforms to reduce the use of force would also demonstrate a commitment to respecting human rights and democratic principles.

Moreover, the government should invest in policies that directly respond to the socio-economic challenges Gen Z faces. This includes increasing funding for education and vocational training, expanding youth-targeted job creation programs, and ensuring access to digital infrastructure. Public participation in budget-making and policy formulation should be expanded to include young voices, especially through online platforms that Gen Z frequently uses. By embracing inclusive governance and showing a willingness to co-create solutions, leadership can rebuild trust and foster a more participatory political culture.

I hope this helps.

This is a tragedy. I recommend we be slow to attribute civil unrest to generational narratives. The reality that certain age groups may be overrepresented in opposition to the government is as likely to be because the protesters are able to protest rather than because of their age cohort.

The generational narrative is overcooked and largely bereft of data. It is a narrative fueled by social media; a concept created by marketers at the end of the 2ioth century to channel products to certain age groups. Its a big ask to conflate this to political and economic motivations.

Generalisations around age cohorts is arbitrary and assumes that everyone within a generation is the same, ignoring diversity of life experience, socioeconomics, culture, and personality. The narrative ignores how social class, race, education, region, or global events shape attitudes more than birth cohort and it fails to account for life stage. Young workers wanting purpose and flexibility isn’t unique to certain age groups.

Exposing Official Lies Over Kenyan Activist's Death In Custody

An investigation by OCCRP member center Africa Uncensored has laid bare inconsistencies and falsehoods in police’s official account of the death in custody of the Kenyan activist and blogger Albert Ojwang.

Ojwang died in police custody last month after he was arrested for allegedly posting defamatory content online. An autopsy later revealed injuries consistent with physical assault, contradicting police claims that he died after hitting his head in a jail cell.

Using open-source digital forensics, Africa Uncensored has also found no evidence linking Ojwang to the social media post authorities cited to justify his arrest.

Kenyan President William Ruto condemned the killing and police misconduct. A formal investigation is ongoing...

https://www.occrp.org/en/news/false-post-real-death-the-case-of-kenyan-activist-albert-ojwang