Thousands of young Kenyans took to the streets in June 2024, outraged by increased taxation at a time when youth unemployment is soaring. These demonstrations, dubbed ‘GenZ protests’, led to the rejection of the unpopular 2024 Finance Bill by Kenya’s legislature and the dismissal of several cabinet ministers by President Ruto. Months later, the country is still dealing with the aftermath, including trying to identify who is responsible for the heavy-handed, deadly, police response. During the protests, it was clear that young people in their diversity were expressing their desire to have a say in the development of public policy.
In a blog entry for the platform Advancing Learning & Innovation on Gender Norms (ALIGN), Gloria Kenyatta argues that these protests suggests that the realisation of the rights of marginalised groups, including young people, as mandated in the Constitution adopted in 2010, has still not been achieved. She sees one key reasen in the continued influence of social norms that distribute power on the basis of age and seniority, as well as gender and ethnicity.
The article can be read on the website of the ALIGN Platform.