Home » Despite Arrests, Kenya’s Gen-Z Vow to Continue Protesting
Despite Arrests, Kenya’s Gen-Z Vow to Continue Protesting
NEWS POLITICS

Despite Arrests, Kenya’s Gen-Z Vow to Continue Protesting

Contents hide
1 Alfred Keter’s Arrest, the Latest in a Series of Many
2 Where Was Alfred Keter Arrested?
3 Why Was Keter Arrested?
4 Maandamano Tuesday and Thursday
4.1 What Taxes had been proposed in the Finance Bill 2024?
5 Lawless Republic?
5.1 The Latest in a Series of Abductions
6 Military in the Streets of Nairobi
7 The Gen-Z Revolution Movement for Change
8 Role of Social Media in the Gen-Z Movement
8.1 CorruptGPT
8.2 Eyes to the World
8.3 X Spaces and TikTok Lives
8.4 #OccupyChurches
8.5 MPs still proposing Controversial Bills
9 Hired Goons
10 Kenyans Condemn the Abductions
11 Media Roundtable
12 Solidarity in the Face of Adversity
13 Wrapping Up, What Next?
14 Subscribe to our Newsletter!!

Kenya has been facing a wave of protests led by the young Gen-Z, who feel dissatisfied with the current government. The demonstrations were initially focused on pressuring Kenya’s Parliament to drop the controversial Finance Bill 2024.

However, despite the bill being dropped, Kenyans are now calling for the President to resign, and for Parliament to be dissolved.

International attention has also been drawn to Kenya following the ongoing demonstrations which have been marred by injuries, extra-judicial deaths, and arbitrary arrests.

Alfred Keter’s Arrest, the Latest in a Series of Many

On Sunday 30th June 2024, former Member of Parliament Alfred Kiptoo Keter was arrested in Nairobi. The dramatic incident occurred in broad daylight and was recorded by Kenyans, who shared videos on social media.

 

This was followed by a post on Keter’s Facebook account where his abduction was confirmed.

 

It has since emerged that he is being held at Kamkunji Police Station in Nairobi.

Where Was Alfred Keter Arrested?

Alfred Keter was arrested outside the Holy Trinity Catholic Church where he had attended the Sunday service. He was with his wife and children, who watched in dismay as he was being carried away. Screams could be heard as he was being whisked away by the cops.

Kenyans on social media also positively identified the cars used during his abduction.

Why Was Keter Arrested?

It is believed that Keter has been arrested for his criticism of the Kenya Kwanza government. The former lawmaker has actively supported protests rejecting the proposed Finance Bill 2024.

Maandamano Tuesday and Thursday

Since Tuesday 18th June 2024, Kenyans have held protests nationwide to express their dissatisfaction with the government. The protests have been happening on Tuesdays and Thursdays ever since.

Kenyans have been calling for Parliament to drop the proposed controversial Finance Bill 2024 #RejectFinanceBill2024. The bill would have seen an exponential increase in taxation to an already overtaxed population.

What Taxes had been proposed in the Finance Bill 2024?

The Finance Bill had proposed taxes on commodities such as bread, sanitary towels, and diapers. This would have seen an increase in the prices of these essential commodities, making them out of reach for many Kenyans.

However, Kenyans did more drilling into the bill and found more tax proposals. These included a new motor vehicle tax of 2.5% of a vehicle’s value, and more taxes on land rates.

Parliament amended the bill by removing the tax on essential commodities. The move seemed to be done in a hurry, in order to pass the bill through the first and second readings. This further angered Kenyans as it seemed like a ploy to lure them away from the more intricate details of the bill.

The culmination of Kenyans’ anger was the successful invasion of Parliament during protests on Tuesday, June 25th, 2024. #OccupyParliament.

Kenyans even treated themselves to lunch in Parliament’s cafeteria.

Others wanted to sleep in the chambers lol.

@tiktoktrends_tk

#fyp #rejectfinancebill #reject #foryou #kenya #parliament

♬ original sound – TiktokTrends_TK

Over 20 people have been “officially” confirmed dead since the protests.

However, the exact figure is believed to be in the hundreds, as more killings have since occurred in Githurai and Ongata Rongai. More people are still nursing injuries in various hospitals across the country.

 

 

 

Perhaps the saddest was the shooting of children in Nakuru and Ongata Rongai. Be advised that you may find the media shared to be disturbing.

5 year old with 10 bullet wounds in Nakuru
Source: X.com

 

 

 

 

Sadly, the child shot in Rongai later succumbed to his injuries.

President Ruto was initially relentless that the bill would be signed into law. However, despite the bill being passed by Parliament, he yielded to pressure and dropped the bill.

Lawless Republic?

Perhaps what angers Kenyans more is the blatant disregard for the law by the men and women who swore to protect and serve them.

The Kenya Police has been accused of using live bullets on peaceful protestors.

 

The Latest in a Series of Abductions

Keter’s arrest also comes against the backdrop of a series of abductions of prominent vocal Kenyans done by the State. 

On the morning of June 25th, 2024, Research and Policy Analyst Gabriel Oguda was abducted from his home.

He was released 2 days later and was visibly looking rather frail.

Another vocal X personality Kevin Monari a.k.a Osama Otero was also arrested just an hour after Oguda.

After his release, he requested the police to return his Sony TV remote lol.

In a dramatic scene that seemed straight from a movie, another tweep John Frank Githiaka (Franje) was also arrested from his offices in Kahawa Sukari.

Franje was also later released. and together with Oguda and Monari, they were not charged with any offense.

Military in the Streets of Nairobi

On Wednesday 26th June 2024, the President and Parliament approved the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces to the streets of Nairobi. They were deployed to assist the Police in controlling protests.

The approval was briefly halted by the High Court then later upheld. This move was seen as a desperate attempt by the President to contain the protests, after security agencies were caught off-guard following the invasion of Parliament.

However, the military’s presence in the streets of Nairobi only lasted a few hours. It was also evident that unlike with the Police, Kenyans love their military. They escorted the army out of the CBD while cheering at them all the way.

The Gen-Z Revolution Movement for Change

Despite the Finance Bill being dropped, Kenyans continue to express dissatisfaction with the current government. What started as protests for Parliament to drop the Finance Bill 2024 has morphed into a movement to end government corruption.

The movement has been spearheaded by Kenya’s young Gen-Z, despite, and has no leader.

Clearly, Kenyans are angry.

Initially sparked by Kenya’s young energetic generation, the revolution has resonated with Kenyans from all walks of life, including those from the church.

The consensus from Kenyans is that the country’s leadership has failed us. Kenyans are also calling for Parliament should be dissolved, while some want to recall their MPs, who supported the Finance Bill 2024.

There are also strong calls for President William Ruto to resign #RutoMustGo.

@kieleweke.genzkenya

#kenyantiktok🇰🇪 #rutomustgo #RejectFinanceBill2024 #rejectfinancebill2024✊🇰🇪 #occupyparliament #fyp #williamruto #AfricaUnion #Nigeria #africantiktok #migunamiguna

♬ original sound – Kieleweke GenZ

Role of Social Media in the Gen-Z Movement

Kenyans have used social media to share information about the movement. They have also shared evidence of corruption by lawmakers.

This social media user shared information about a company linked to Hon. Millicent Omanga being awarded a government tender. Omanga had denied doing business with government.

Another social media user shared evidence of Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen seeking to bribe him to share pro-government posts on X.

CorruptGPT

Social media user BenwithSon created a ChatGPT tool that lists all corruption scandals by Kenyan politicians. Through the link, you can be able to search any politician’s name and get all corruption allegations about them, and their outcomes.

Another user is working on a website with the names of all who lost their lives during the protests. We shall share the link once it goes live.

Eyes to the World

Through social media, the world has been able to see the reality of what has been going on in the country since the protests began.

 

There are also fears that Kenya’s mainstream media has been compromised after the threat to shutdown KTN News channel.

X Spaces and TikTok Lives

There have also been live conversations on X and TikTok where youth have continuously been expressing their dissatisfaction with the Kenya Kwanza government.

One space hosted by social media personality Kimuzi hit 137k listeners and over a million cumulative listeners, probably the highest ever on the platform.

#OccupyChurches

Kenyans have expressed their dissatisfaction with the church’s handling of the ongoing protests and their perceived unholy marriage with the state. Vocal social media personality Mwabili Mwagodi has been spearheading a push to have politicians denied a chance to speak in churches. So far, it has been working.

People from other African countries have also been shocked and inspired by the relentlessness of the Kenyan youth.

Others from beyond the continent have also joined the protests outside Kenya’s diplomatic missions abroad.

MPs still proposing Controversial Bills

Despite the drop of the Finance Bill, there is a concern that other pending bills in Parliament may be used to sneak in retrogressive laws, some of which were part of the Finance Bill 2024.

However there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel with some bills slowly being dropped. One of the controversial bills that was dropped was the Land Laws Amendment Bill (2023). The bill proposed by Kikuyu Constituency MP Kimani Ichung’wah would have seen the introduction of taxes on freehold land.

Truly the increase in pressure seems to be working.

Hired Goons

Despite most Kenyans demonstrating for a better country, there seems to be a small number taking advantage of the protests to cause damage to property. There have been reports of goons breaking into shops and stealing goods, with some alleged to have been hired.

The break ins have left businesses counting losses.

Kenyans Condemn the Abductions

Kenyans continue to condemn the abduction of the former Nandi Hills MP. with the Law Society of Kenya President likening it to the Moi era abductions.

Activist Boniface Mwangi lamented that Kenya was turning into a dictatorship.

Media Roundtable

The President hosted a round table with the media on Sunday 30th June 2024 at 7:00 pm.

The President mentioned that he was ready to engage the youth in forums where they are active on, including on Xspaces.

However, this latest move by the President seems to have made little to calm Kenyans or change their minds about the protests.

Kenyans were angered by his refusal to take responsibility for the loss of lives and instead felt that he was siding with the Kenya Police and Parliamentarians who voted for the finance bill.

They also feel that he is not remorseful and continues with his usual rhetoric.

Solidarity in the Face of Adversity

In a moving show of solidarity, Kenyans have so far raised over Ksh. 29 million to help in treating those injured during the protests. The number keeps growing as more people from within the country and across the globe keep sending their contributions.

This noble drive was organized by social media personality Hanifa Safia who has been working tirelessly and selflessly to ensure all victims are treated, and that the funds are accounted for.

Big up to Hanifa for the great job done.

Kenyans have also turned up donate blood for those injured during the protests.

Gen-Z showed up in the CBD on Sunday for a vigil paying homage to lives lost during the demonstrations. The move seems to have surprised many including law enforcement.

It was essentially a maandamano in preparation for Tuesday’s maandamano, effectively declaring Tuesday a holiday in advance.

Wrapping Up, What Next?

Despite the government softening its stance on the protests and now being ready to dialog with the youth, more protests are set to continue this week. Tuesday 2nd July 2024 is the date set for the next protests, and after the President’s remarks today, Kenyans seem to be more fuelled for the streets.

Do you agree that Kenya is slowly turning into a dictatorship? Should President William Ruto resign? and will the intimidations suppress the ongoing calls for a complete reset of the country?

Should there be dialog between the youth and President Ruto?

Keep it C.O.K for more updates on the ongoing Gen-Z revolution movement protests, and the current sad state of the nation.

Nick Tembo
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