President William Ruto’s call for a six day national dialogue is facing a revolt from a popular majority, particularly among Kenya’s Gen Z activists who reject the proposed talks between Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The dialogue, scheduled to begin on July 15, was announced by President Ruto and Odinga as an attempt to address the ongoing crisis in the country. However, this decision has sparked significant opposition from Gen Z activists and other Kenyans who argue that the dialogue does not represent their interests and that Odinga is attempting to speak on their behalf without their consent.
Many young activists have distanced themselves from the proposed talks, asserting that they do not support it and that neither Odinga nor Ruto truly represents their concerns. Critics argue that the political leaders are attempting to hijack the youth movement and that the dialogue is not inclusive of the broader population’s grievances.
“When we say #RutoMustGo, we mean the entire government, including the alleged ‘opposition’ members. You can have your dialogues amongst yourselves, but we won’t accept it. Either fulfill your constitutional mandate to Kenyans or step aside and let us fix this country,” a user tweeted.
“Raila Odinga is speaking the same language as William Ruto, trying to calm the Gen Zs down in the name of dialogue. We have seen these gimmicks since time immemorial. Gen Zs want fluent action, not fluent dialogue. That is the bare minimum,” tweeted another.
The Gen Z-led protests, which have been ongoing for weeks, are characterized by a lack of central organization and a reliance on crowdsourcing for financial support. This decentralized approach has made it difficult for the government to isolate and co-opt individuals into negotiations. The movement has successfully mobilized across party, age, and regional divides, focusing on issues that affect all Kenyans, such as the economy and corruption.
The government’s response to the protests has been met with criticism, with many arguing that it has failed to address the concerns of the youth. The dialogue announced by Odinga and Ruto is seen by some as an attempt to diffuse the movement and maintain the status quo. However, the Gen Z activists have vowed to continue their protests and to hold the government accountable for its actions.
