What do Gen Z want?

For the past two weeks, Gen Z has been protesting against the Finance Bill 2024. Eventually, their efforts bore fruits, the president conceded and rejected the bill on Wednesday, June 26th.

Many thought that the youth would be satisfied however, their rage was still palpable. They took to various social media platforms mostly X, formally known as Twitter, to express their dissatisfaction with President William Ruto's government begging the question ‘What do Gen Z`s want?”

Speaking on Citizen TV's Daybreak show, the youth voiced their needs, stating that they want accountability, transparency of funds, and promises kept.

”During your campaign, you had an obligation and you committed to improving the standards of living for the people of Kenya those policies do not resonate with what you are telling us,” said lawyer Hassan Mahmud Ibrahim.

“Two years ago you came and told us this is the change we want to bring. You sold us hope and the government said we will come and work, but this has not happened,” said Wendy Loyce political activist.

Lawyer Hassan Mahmud Ibrahim was of the opinion that the government should focus mostly on implementation rather than dialogue. He said that the President was very categorical in his speech stating that he has heard the youth hence his actions should reflect his words.

“I want to wake up tomorrow and hear the issue of JSS teachers has been solved. I want to wake up tomorrow and hear the issue of intern doctors has been solved. I want to wake up and hear the issue of abduction has been resolved in this country,” said Ibrahim.

“We feel that there is laxity in implementations of what the youths may want or what the people of Kenya want.”

Philip Mwangale, a governance analyst, moreover stated that for dialogue to work there needs to be leaders who are well capable of executing the needs and wants of the people.

“We cannot have a dialogue with a cabinet that is 85% corrupt. We cannot have dialogue with a National Assembly that is almost 50% corrupt. You have three murders in the National Assembly today people who have murdered. It’s not an allegation they have murdered, how do you dialogue with such people,” said Mwangale.

Loyce further noted that the protests were a result of the continuous pleas of the youth falling on deaf ears. She echoed that the youth had had enough of empty promises from Members of Parliament and those in power

“This generation has come up and said wait a minute no it will no longer work like this, I elected you to go to this office and this is our true voice,” said Loyce.

The youth have been called to continue keeping up the good spirit of fighting, stating the uniting factor should always be patriotism and at the end of the day, the course should end up bringing people together.

They have further called on the government to realise that the people of Kenya are supreme and should be accountable to the people of Kenya. They also want more funds allocated to the counties.