Youths Ultimatum: Either Level Up or Leave the Stage

The Nationwide demonstrations have captured the President’s attention, and as a result, he has called for talks with Gen Zs in an effort to forge a meeting point for a peaceful future. The President has arranged a conference with youths to be hosted on his X space under the hashtag #EngageThePresident on July 5, 2024, from 2 p.m.

Youths have, however, aired their dissatisfaction with the move. Kennedy Sankara, an activist, has voiced his take, saying, “The President’s actions amount to Public Relations (PR) gimmicks. It is inappropriate for him to think that he can listen to Kenyans in a span of two hours, while it takes a day flying to sell the ‘bottom-up’ agenda in various counties.”

President Ruto held a Cabinet Meeting at the State House on July 4, 2024, during which the conduct of security officers in handling the protests was commended, and their efforts in stabilizing the scene were exalted.

“The members commended security officers, pointing out that they on the whole acted professionally in very difficult circumstances. The Cabinet also noted that security agencies did a good job of protecting the country from anarchists,” the Cabinet meeting report read in part.

Kennedy has expressed his dispute, alluding to the fact that police officers seem to be moving away from the illumination that they ought to protect protesters rather than attacking them, a situation he claims to have experienced first-hand.

The activist has additionally criticized the proposition to reshuffle the Cabinet, mentioning a spread of ineffectiveness within departments, saying, “We do not advocate for the reshuffle. It’s like transferring a problem from one department to another. If you are incompetent and not able to deliver, either shape up or shape out.”

There has been a very thin line between peaceful and violent protests, with allegations that the whole process was hijacked and an alarm on the human rights clock as dozens of lives were claimed by police fire.