Kenya has recently hit international headlines due to widespread youth protests addressing various critical issues, including taxation, corruption, accountability in the government, the escalating cost of living among other issues that Kenyans want the government to address.
A recent report published by Trends and Insights For Africa (TIFA) on Thursday shows the support for the Gen Z movement has transcended political affiliations with majority of Kenya Kwanza supporters rallying behind the movement.
The report shows 79 per cent of Kenya Kwanza diehards welcome the Gen Z protests while only 20 per cent don't support.
TIFA's report further shows that 91 per cent of Azimio supporters endorse the protests while 8 per cent are opposed to the demonstrations.
"This young generation, feeling leaderless and without party affiliation, has taken it upon themselves to demand change. Their leaderless and partyless stance underscores a deep disillusionment with traditional political structures, seeking to carve out a new path that truly represents their interests and aspirations," the report reads in part.
Top Gen Z Demands
The report further lists the top demands Kenyans want President William Ruto to act on.
These include; cutting down government spending, youth employment, lowering the cost of living, fighting corruption, accountability of government officials and scaling up the fight against corruption.
Further, the report shows that majority of Kenyans support introduction of austerity measures to ensure that the Kenyan government lives within its means.
"Cutting down government spending (austerity measures) is the primary demand from Gen-Z demonstrations that most Kenyans support," the report reads.
Police Brutality
TIFA's report further shows that many Kenyans believe that police have used excessive force to quell the protests especially in Nairobi and Nyanza.
"This sentiment reflects deep-rooted issues regarding law enforcement practices and raises critical questions about the balance between maintaining order and respecting the rights of protesters," the report reads in part
Additionally, the report also shows that most Kenyans support the withdrawal of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) from Kenyan streets to quell the recent demonstrations.
"The broad support for withdrawing the army from the streets indicates a preference for non-military methods in managing protestors," the report further reads.
