Gov't scrambles to discredit Gen Z #RejectFinanceBill protests

In the past week, leaders from the Kenya Kwanza government have sought to discredit the protests, terming them as a ploy for the youth to get more views on their social media platforms. 

Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah’s latest remarks attracted the ire of the youth after he claimed that the protestors were misguided and did not understand the contents of the bill.

He mocked the youthful protesters insinuating that they were privileged persons arriving at the protests in taxis while holding iPhones and then later dining at KFC joints after the demonstrations.

"The Gen Z have iphones and use Ubers to protest. Wanatoka maandamano wanaingia KFC kukula kuku na minofu, maji ni ile ya chupa...si mliwaona? Hawajui shida stima ni kitu gani...wako na umeme 24/7," he said in Baringo County on Friday. 

Kapsaret MP Oscar Sudi also sought to censure the protests, saying that the youth did not understand the bill. 

"Niliona hao Gen Z, hata mtoto wangu pengine alikuwa hapo, lakini hawaelewi hii finance bill," said Kapsaret MP Oscar Sudi.

At the same time, President William Ruto’s economic adviser David Ndii mocked the demonstrations and termed the digital activism as “wanking.”

“Politics is a contact sport. Digital activism is just wanking. Any jackass can kick down a barn but it takes a good carpenter to build one,” Ndii stated. 

The comments have elicited the ire of Kenyans online who seek an audit of the billions collected from revenue from taxes introduced in past Finance Bills. 

Critics have also called on the government to take the issue seriously, citing that the youth have taken it upon themselves to bring a revolution in the country, regardless of tribe or political stand. 

Recently, Dagoretti South Member of Parliament John 'KJ' Kiarie was on the spot over his remarks, claiming that some of the photos shared online were either old or doctored to drive an agenda as they did not represent the true state of affairs. 

"The committee was already in the process of engaging Kenyans way before a fake protest was organised... Some of the photos we were seeing, I can tell you as a graphic editor, that they do not belong to this country,” he alleged in Parliament. 

His comments mirrored Kitutu South MP Rachel Nyamai who claimed that the Gen Zs were only interested in gaining TikTok views. 

The penultimate Finance Bill protests occurred on Thursday as youth thronged the streets, demanding the legislators to reject the contentious bill. Using the #OccupyParliament, the youth sought to access Parliament at a time when the MPs were voting on the bill. 

Braving teargas, water canons and intimidations, the protests ran through the entire afternoon and into the night, with the youth exercising their rights to demonstrate. 

Despite the numerous protests across the country, 204 MPs voted in support of the bill, against 115, meaning that the bill proceeds to the Committee of the Whole House next week.