WANANCHI OPINION: President Ruto's 'broad based' Gov't: Who's fooling who?

Now, it's unsettling to see these politicians, many of whom should be prosecuted over links to corruption, loudly demanding that the president should not tolerate any more protests.

I don’t blame them, though; I blame the history around them.

If Gen Z gets what they are demanding for, many of these individuals will never see the corridors of power again but will instead find themselves housed in different police cells.

Some sort of dialogue took place between a group of over 130K Gen Z on X space, although many rubbished the discussion, saying it was choreographed and only a select few handpicked individuals, sympathetic to the government's agenda were allowed to speak.

Many faced difficulties logging in to the discussion.

Nonetheless, Gen Z have been participating in other X Space discussions online and have demanded for a reconstituted Cabinet.

Initially, it looked like the president had heard them as he dismissed all Cabinet secretaries.

But what were we given in return?

Sixty percent of the very same people were announced as making a comeback in to the Cabinet when Ruto announced the first batch of 11 members of Cabinet.

Who is fooling who?

Gen Z asked the president to give youths a chance in his cabinet.

He appointed one, a 32-year-old, in a group of 21 members. And as if that wasn’t enough, this individual was not even placed in the ministry of youth.

Who is fooling who?

Gen Z demanded the president do away with politicians who have been on stage for far too long.

True to form, he promised that government officials would retire at 60, but the best he could do was appoint politicians, including former governors, who have been part of the very problem since their time in government. Who is fooling who?

Gen Z asked for an end to corruption and for those found culpable of any offense to face the full force of the law. However, the best the president could announce were measures he wants to be implemented in government procurement entities.

He instructed his corrupt MPs, some of whom have had their criminal cases dropped or are still pending, to lecture the people whom they fear will expose their corruption. Who is fooling who?

Gen Z asked for a reconstituted IEBC so they could recall Members of Parliament for failing to represent them and for their respective corruption cases involving the NG-CDF kitty. The best response came from the MPs themselves, giving lectures at funerals and on social media about how the country doesn’t only consist of Gen Z citizens. Who is fooling who?

Gen Z asked for appointments based on merit and not political affiliations. Instead, the president tapped into ODM and called it a “Broad-Based Government of National Unity.” Who is fooling who?

Gen Z asked for clean faces in the new cabinet, but after what he calls wide consultations, the president gave us some individuals whose footprints of past evils are still visible online. Who is fooling who?

Gen Z asked for the government to be held accountable for the killings by police officers of innocent protesters. Yet, the president prioritized businesses vandalized over the lives lost. Vandalizing businesses wasn’t on Gen Z’s script. Who is fooling who?

Gen Z asked for the best that the country deserves, but the best in this case is what the political masters wanted, nothing more, nothing less. Who is fooling who?

In conclusion, the disconnect between what was asked for and what was given reveals a stark reality. The demands of Gen Z for meaningful change and accountability have been met with token gestures and political maneuvering.

This highlights a broader issue within our political system where the voices of the youth are acknowledged but not truly heard or acted upon. It’s a call to action for genuine dialogue and reform, ensuring that the future of our country is shaped by the aspirations of its young people, not the vested interests of a few.