There is anger toward President William Ruto because many young Kenyans think he doesn’t care about their wants and goals.
There is a heated discussion on social media and among political experts about whether or not the voices of Generation Z are really being heard in the halls of power.
The trouble started with the President’s first selection of Cabinet Secretaries (CS), which many people think didn’t take into account the needs and demographics of Kenya’s young people.
Many candidates said during the campaign that they would put youth first in government positions and policies, but the latest choices have made many feel left out.
John Mbithi, a youth activist, was upset and said, “We had high hopes that this administration would break from the past and genuinely prioritize young people.”
Sadly, the most recent dates don’t seem to support that. Young people aren’t being portrayed well enough, which is scary for our future.
There are a lot of young Kenyans who agree with Mbithi. They vented their anger on Twitter and Facebook. The term #GenZWamechezwa went viral very quickly, and thousands of posts used it to show how the President’s actions as president don’t match up with what he said during his campaign.
Some people say that the choices mostly include older, more experienced people and don’t leave much room for young leaders with new ideas.
According to political analyst Mary Wanjiku, “The youth make up a big part of Kenya’s population, and keeping them out of key government roles is not only a missed chance but also a possible threat to future political stability.”
Teenagers and young adults want real proof that their opinions matter and that they can change the country’s course.
But the President’s office has defended the appointments, saying that in some very important jobs, experience and continuity are very important.
A government spokesman said that future appointments would be more representative of the country’s diverse population, even though the first group may not have lived up to all standards.
Even with these promises, it’s still clear that young Kenyans are unhappy.
Many people say that we can’t wait any longer and that we need to act right away to make sure that Kenya’s young people don’t just watch and don’t have any say in how the country’s future turns out.