Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, has made an appeal to the country’s young people, known as Generation Z or Gen Zs, to end their ongoing protests and wait for the government to take action.
In a statement to the media, Gachagua acknowledged that the young protesters have valid concerns that the government has heard and is working to address.
“We have heard you, the young people of this country,” he said.
“The government understands your issues and is committed to making changes to improve the situation.”
However, the Deputy President urged the protesters to be patient and give the government time to implement the necessary changes. “I am asking you, the Gen Zs, to stop the protests and demonstrations,” Gachagua said.
“We need you to wait for the actions that the government will take to address the problems you have raised.”
Gachagua argued that continuing with the protests would not help resolve the issues and that the government needs time to put in place the measures needed to address the young people’s concerns.
“Ongoing protests will not help,” he said. “We need you to allow us, the government, to work on solving these problems.”
The Deputy President emphasized that the government understands the frustrations of the young people and is committed to taking action.
“We know you have valid grievances, and we are taking your concerns seriously,” Gachagua said. “But we need you to be patient and give us the time to make the changes you want to see.”
The appeal from the Deputy President comes amid ongoing protests by young Kenyans across the country, who have been expressing their frustrations over issues such as unemployment, cost of living, and political representation.
The protesters have been demanding immediate action from the government to address these pressing concerns.
It remains to be seen whether the young people will heed the Deputy President’s request to stop the protests and wait for the government to take action.
The government will likely face continued pressure from the determined Gen Z activists until they see tangible progress on the issues they have raised.