The Association of County Students Associations Presidents - Kenya (ACSAPK) has urged President William Ruto to convene a national dialogue with the youth to address their challenges.
In a statement, the association, which is made up of student leaders from all 47 counties, called for the talks in order to identify alternative ways of ending the longstanding stalemate between the youths and the government.
ACSAPK noted that the talks would possibly limit the recurrence of youth-led protests, which they argued have become destructive and which led to the deaths of several youth.
The student leaders rallied the relevant government institutions to create an integrated panel that would aid in coming up with solutions to issues such as unemployment, that are faced by Gen Zs.
“The recent wave of protests across Kenya reflects the deep frustration of young people over issues such as unemployment, access to education, cost of living, and governance. While these demonstrations have amplified youth voices, they have also led to unrest, division and loss,” stated Derrick Odinga, ACSAPK Secretary.
“Kenya’s youth are the heartbeat of this nation, and their voices must shape its future. We call upon President William Ruto to endorse the National Youth Dialogue Taskforce and appoint a liaison coordinator with ACSAPK,” another representative stated.
The plea to Ruto comes at a time when the majority of youths have resisted talks with the government, describing themselves as ‘leaderless, fearless and tribeless.’
As per the youth, talks with the government would potentially result in the ‘organic’ movement being compromised.
Last year, Gen Zs were at the forefront of the anti-Finance Bill protests which were against the taxes proposed by the government.
The demonstrations put the young Kenyans at the heart of keeping the government accountable, with some even terming the youth as the ‘unofficial opposition.’
However, as per ACSAPK, Gen Zs were not leaderless but slammed efforts to take advantage of youths for political gain, even as they called for dialogue.
It comes ahead of the rumoured Saba Saba protests, which are believed to be championed for by Gen Zs. Youths attending the late Albert Ojwang's funeral in Homa Bay today vowed to hold protests on Saba Saba which is on Monday, July 7, in memory of Ojwang, who passed while in police custody.
Recently, Ruto’s daughter, Charlene Ruto, voiced her dissatisfaction with the strategies used by youth to air out their grievances, including protests and hate raids.
She described acts such as protests and hate raids, where Kenyans ‘pass their greetings' to political leaders, as acts that do not benefit the nation.
“There is no nation that will ever benefit from encouraging division, be it generational, tribal, or even racial,” she stated.
Consequently, Charlene urged Kenyans to shun the crude methods and devise ways to direct their energies towards more constructive reforms and engagement.
