Kenya’s Youth Lead the Charge for Change: “It’s a Gen Z Spring!”

The bill, which passed its second reading in Parliament on Thursday, has sparked widespread outrage across Kenya. It includes proposed tax hikes that have been universally condemned, coming at a time when the country is already grappling with significant economic challenges.

However, the government says that it needs to increase revenues to reduce the budget deficit and state borrowing.

The bill has united Kenyans in opposition, cutting across age, gender, and socio-economic backgrounds. Leading the charge are a new wave of young Kenyans, from Generation Z, who are not only pushing back at the bill, but are demanding larger accountability by the Kenyan government, often citing examples of mismanaged funds, ineptitude and corruption.

“It’s a Gen Z Spring. We have seen our parents suffer and we want more for ourselves,” says Indimuli, who has fast become one of the movement’s most visible faces after giving a passionate interview to the media on the first day of protests.

The protests have not been confined to the streets. Social media, particularly TikTok, has played a crucial role in mobilizing and organizing dissent.

Shawn Dalmas, 19, has become a visible figure in the struggle after a TikTok passionately calling for a Gen Z and millennial-led political party went viral on Wednesday.

Kenya’s Gen Z demographic, born between 1997 and 2003, represent 33.4 percent of the population, according to the Association of Kenyan Insurers.

“We are forming a political party. We are fixing this nation,” Dalmas says in the video. “I have a name. We can simply call ourselves [...] ‘Next Generation Alliance’! We need to form a revolution,” he adds.

Leaderless, yet highly organized

Following lackluster youth turnout during Kenya’s 2022 election, the recent protests have surprised older generations of Kenyans who had written off Gen Zs as a group only interested in going viral and following trends.

But even more surprising has been how quickly this group has been able to organize the protests and advocate against the bill. From sharing meeting locations to sensitization and preparation guidelines, the group moves swiftly, finding creative ways to support protestors and stamp out any forms of resistance.

“Organizing has been easy because of collaborative efforts across various social media platforms,” Susan Justine Opwanda, a content creator, who used her popular channel Fake Woke With Justine to share information, tells OkayAfrica.

“Every young person on social media accessed information on what to wear, meeting points, emergency numbers, lawyers to call,” she adds. “This was shared everywhere and through word of mouth from friends. Having trusted creators across platforms encouraging their followers to be peaceful also helped.”

Indimuli adds that they had studied up on how to hold a successful protest, citing that the January national protest against femicide became a blueprint for organizers. Thousands of women gathered around the country to demonstrate against gender-based violence.

“It confirmed to us that online activism can work and it is something we can do in Kenya,” Indimuli says, adding that discussion for this week’s protests started weeks ago.

Further, the amorphous nature of the protest movement has made it difficult for the government to pin down and stamp out. Gen Z demonstrators are just as likely to protest for Palestine and DR Congo in one minute, as they are to call out their own leaders.

They are also not caught up by the divisions, such as tribe or religion, that have plagued the opposition movement of older generations.

“We did major desensitization to tell people that is beyond your tribe,” says Indimuli. “It is beyond your age. And that's why we specifically focused on Gen Z. We're the only ones who actually understand fully what it means to not have any bias.”

“We are autonomous. We do not want to be defined. We do not have any association. We don't have any leadership. There's no structure. There's no leadership. So no one has to come to the table. There's no one [to bribe],” she adds.

Redefining a new generation

Some government officials had initially dismissed the protests. “Digital activism is just wanking,” said presidential adviser David Ndiion X last week, but he quickly changed his tune once the protests started, saying, “Well done. I challenged you and you rose to the occasion.”

“The government has been dismissive of young people by touting ‘online activism’ as useless,” says Opwanda. “Many of them call it hiding behind a screen and won’t really do anything. But Gen Zs keep rising to the occasion for themselves as they feel if they don’t they won’t have much left,” she adds. “Opportunities are barely reaching them so they’re making sure this doesn’t continue.”

Indeed, a common theme among the young activists is their willingness to use and affirm all skill sets available to help the cause.

Gen Z musicians are creating the music of the movement. Gen Z poets are memorializing the moment. Gen Z graphic designers are creating the call-to-action posters. Gen Z lawyers are offering their legal services to bail out protestors. Gen Z doctors held a free clinic at a mosque near ground zero to treat injured protestors. Gen Z restaurant workers advocated to their bosses to allow the protestors to hide in their establishments.

And all of this is being organized virtually.

“Some of us met for the first time on Tuesday and we were all arrested,” Indimuli laughs.

The fight continues

Despite the bill passing second reading in parliament, many protestors believe their efforts are a success.

“[Since] we were able to actually break parliament into two hubs, it is a success to us,” Indimuli says. “Everybody knows we still have so many chances to do something.”

The next step, she says, is to recall all the MPs who voted for the bill.

For Dalmas, who has political ambitions to one day run for president, his call for a new party has gained teeth. Lawyers have reached out to him in his DMs and are helping him set up his new political party. And a designer has already set up the logo.

“These things are all being done by other people then they are texting me for approval,” he says to OkayAfrica via WhatsApp. “This is happening all too fast! Groups have been created and they are growing with thousands of members,” he adds.

However, the physical and emotional toll on activists like Indimuli is undeniable. As she gets up to leave the restaurant, she receives a message that a protester had just died from gunshot wounds. She is also worried about being tracked by the government, who she believes has been monitoring her phone. She loudly wonders if it is safe to go home.

“I’ll be okay,” she says. I have really given up on being quiet. Being quiet is costly. Being quiet brings more harm to me being on the streets. Being quiet has caused me more abuse than being on the streets.”