A call for peace and justice » Capital News

I began writing this article in a conciliatory tone but found myself enraged by the tragic events that have overshadowed the peaceful demonstrations conducted by Gen-Z and Millennials. The events of Tuesday, June 25th, 2024, were particularly disturbing.

According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), after “unleashing terror on demonstrators and a section of protestors engaging in violent acts, the police officers moved into residential areas of Githurai and Juja,” where they “allegedly shot civilians” indiscriminately. The commission reports “unverified accounts of scores of residents killed by stray bullets” and has promised to continue its investigation.

I still believe that peace and calm are the way forward, but the callous killings of our youth, the majority of whom were young, are not only wrong and immoral but diabolical. The actual numbers of the dead and wounded nationwide are yet to be determined, but it appears that when all the tallies are in, they will be disturbingly high. KNCHR has placed the number so far at 41.

Following the murders of young men on Parliament grounds, President William Ruto held a press conference and defiantly told the people that, in essence, he didn’t appear remorseful. Ruto not only refused to acknowledge the tragic and senseless loss of lives but proceeded to call the protestors “treasonous” and “dangerous criminals.” Wananchi were understandably incensed by this apparent lack of empathy, and when hours later the leader tried to change his tune, they weren’t listening. Who can blame them?

On Wednesday, when Ruto was forced to accede to the people’s demands and announce that he would not sign the bill, the no-nonsense Gen-Zs essentially said, no deal. Without going into details, the youth reportedly delineated seven reasons for rejecting Ruto’s statement, saying that the president’s speech was “delivered more than 30 minutes late (while he was) accompanied by suspicious characters.”

Explaining why they felt ignored, disrespected, and not taken seriously by the leader for whom most of them reportedly voted, the Gen-Z’s declaration continued: “The context of your statement is quite telling. You missed the point when you were accompanied by the same people who earlier today authorized the KDF to be on the streets just before their appearance at your press briefing. Allegations of bribes are rife within their ranks. Indeed, when a journalist asked about development today, they mockingly laughed at us. They are the same people who have made parliament a laughingstock of the world.”

In other words, after so many of their comrades’ lives had been lost, the youth saw no need to engage further with someone who obstinately ignored their concerns, leading to the death of their colleagues. No rational Kenyan can argue with this sentiment.

Granted, I’m not thrilled with the idea of breaking into parliament and destroying the government’s property—or anyone else’s, for that matter. However, the protesters were orderly and peaceful until the police unleashed tear gas on them and violence against them at the direction of the president.

As a mother and baby boomer, my heart swells with pride to see young people who are well-versed in government and demand their right to be heard. Any leader who has the best interest at heart for his country would appreciate and celebrate the peaceful manner with which these protesters have conducted themselves. Instead, excessive force, arrests, kidnappings, and even death have been used to scare, intimidate, and discourage people from exercising one of the civil rights enshrined in the constitution. This is not how functioning democracies work.

It disturbed me to hear that President Ruto deployed the military against peaceful demonstrators. Normal and progressive leaders don’t use violence against their own people. In a true democracy, citizens are welcomed to air their grievances, question, and disagree with representatives without being threatened. Hence, these servants of the people should pay attention to their citizenry’s concerns.

Our youth have a lot to grieve about. Many of them, the majority of whom are university graduates, are jobless and see no prospects in their future. These are kids whose struggling parents sacrificed everything to afford them a higher education.

Nairobi is known as an “international business hub,” and for good reason. There are countless foreign companies with thriving businesses. However, how much of this money is truly benefiting the ordinary mwananchi? One of the things that distresses me most when I go to Kenya is seeing so many college graduates, some with multiple degrees, being reduced to working as cashiers in grocery or clothes stores and other menial jobs that pay below living wages. Not just the youth, the population is chronically unemployed. Meanwhile, those lucky enough to secure a job are being choked by exorbitant taxes. Any leader who does not expect or want people to express their discontent about such glaring problems reveals not only his disconnectedness and apathy but how ill-equipped he is to hold office.

Teachers and doctors, as well as civil servant workers in Kenya, rarely get paid on time. In hospitals, cancer patients and others with serious ailments are suffering unnecessarily and dying early due to late diagnoses, lack of medicines and proper equipment, as well as scarcity of doctors and staff. A nation’s success and progress are measured by the way it takes care of its children, the elderly, and the infirm. Kenya, I’m afraid to say, has miserably failed in all these areas. Is it any surprise then that people are disgruntled, feel disenfranchised, and crave change? Yet, when they dare to protest, they are met with brutal force—and death.

It was very disconcerting to read about how Dagoretti South MP and erstwhile comedian, John Kiarie, dubbed the Gen-Z’s grievances as “fake” when they dared question his voting for the bill. Claiming to be a “photo expert,” the lawmaker argued that “certain images circulating (on the internet) were outdated and had been digitally altered to mislead the public.”

Of course, the politician was forced to eat crow and apologize, although the damage was already done. Maybe Kiarie should have stuck to comedy where he could continue to entertain instead of dealing with serious matters that affect Kenyans’ lives.

Kiarie’s insults to the Gen-Z protesters, however, paled in comparison to the remarks made by the Kikuyu Constituency MP, Kimani Ichung’wah. In addition to dismissing the protest as a “Movement of privileged urbanites in Nairobi,” the lawmaker also ridiculed the young demonstrators as “KFC-eating, uber-riding city dwellers’” who had no “understanding of the bill,” erroneously claiming that the youth had “little understanding of hardship” or what “lacking electricity means.” Just like his fellow politician, the mheshimiwa apologized, but it was too late. The damage was done.

How condescending, arrogant, and disconnected can some of our elected representatives be! Ichung’wah’s remarks, especially, were not only unpalatable but demonstrate why the man should never have been the choice for public office. Wananchi, tafadhalini, let us think twice before we give our treasured vote to people who neither deserve it nor respect and care about our needs.

Again, I couldn’t be prouder of the courage, resolve, and dedication that our youth have displayed in not only rejecting the proposed Finance Bill 2024 but other forms of injustice. Despite being exposed to daily tear gas and violence, the Gen-Z and Millennials have resolved, as the young would say, to “stand on business.” Indeed, children are our future.

Like any normal Kenyan, I am extremely distressed by the deaths of innocent young civilians. Reading about a police officer’s hands being torn off by a tear gas canister that misfired grieves me just as much. I abhor all forms of violence and hope that dialogue can be the way forward for the country that I truly love.

If there’s one positive thing that has come out of all the chaos and tragedy—and “positive” might sound like an odd characterization given the events of the past few days—it’s the unity that I’ve observed during the countrywide protests. Kenyans seem more united now than ever before, and this gives me hope about the direction the country is headed. I saw my fellow wananchi come together regardless of tribe, religion, or status and lend a hand. In Nairobi, for example, unemployed doctors offered services to the injured at Jamia Mosque; some companies provided protesters with links for those who might require medical help; store owners gave them water, while portable toilets and sanitary napkins for women were made equally available. This really warmed my heart. It made me think that the suffering and deaths will not be in vain.

Sadly, however, in life, there are those who build and those who destroy. It’s clear that the latter was in motion when some unscrupulous forces bent on diluting, hurting, escalating chaos, and even hijacking the Gen-Z’s good cause reportedly hired goons to vandalize, loot businesses, and, in some cases, burn down buildings in cities like Nairobi and Eldoret. Obviously, the small and big business owners, who had worked their whole lives, were devastated and traumatized to see their investments literally and figuratively go up in smoke. I would never condone the destruction of property and hope the culprits will be brought to book. Considering the accusations and counter-accusations that are already being bandied about, this is not going to be easy.

In the words of the late South African leader, Nelson Mandela, “It is so easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.”

In my humble opinion, the Gen-Z and Millennials are the heroes who are striving to make peace and build a new Kenya. The best the older generation, especially those in power, can do is either try to help the youth realize this goal or get out of the way. Hurting them in any way or fashion will not be tolerated by decent people of goodwill within and without Kenya. The eyes of the world are watching, and history will never forget. It is, therefore, important for politicians to remember what many say during campaigns: Kenya is bigger than any one of us. The country belongs to all; its fruits should be enjoyed by everyone. This reminder would prevent elected officials from being offended whenever the citizenry takes to the streets to express discontent. Reminding themselves of the proclamations they made before their current positions might help the powers that be empathize more with wananchi and, hence, do the right thing.

To reiterate, no Kenyan should have to fear intimidation, beatings, arrests, kidnappings, or being killed just because he or she chooses to express dissatisfaction with how things are being run. This kind of oppression happens in dictatorships, not free democracies. Violence, whoever the perpetrator is, can never be the solution. Therefore, Ruto and his government must rethink their approach. In the meantime, I urge my beloved fellow Kenyans to continue exercising calm and good judgment.

The social media images which I and many other people have seen attest to the fact that the protesters who took to the streets to express their grievances only carried water bottles and olive branches, not weapons. Hence, the excessive force and tear gas used against them and other civilians who were simply exercising their civil and constitutional rights were absolutely unnecessary. Just as unjustified was Ruto’s ill-advised decision to deploy the military to kill unarmed protesters. Unequivocally, all this must stop. Kenya belongs to and is big enough for all of us.

The Gĩkũyũ said, “Where there’s talk there’s understanding.” Yaani, kwaria nĩ kwendana. For the sake of our collective survival, especially that of our children and progeny, let us talk. We owe the children this much, for they are the future. The country belongs to them. So, let us selflessly prepare them to take the reins. It is one thing to see the president engage the youths on X-Spaces, but will he keep his promise and implement all the promises he made? That is what matters most.

Finally, I want to extend my heartfelt and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and those recuperating from their injuries. May the sweet memories and courage of their kin bring them peace and comfort. In the eyes of millions of Kenyans, the children who were murdered or injured were neither “treasonous” nor “dangerous criminals,” as President Ruto derisively dismissed them. They were courageous heroes and martyrs who’ll go down in history as defenders of civil rights and freedoms.

The author is a former university adjunct lecturer and high school English teacher, as well as an active writer who publishes in both English and Kikuyu. She resides in New York, USA, with her husband.

About The Author