Kenya’s Gen Z protesters

Available for over a year

Like many countries, Kenya is struggling with a cost of living crisis and how to balance the books. The government’s answer was a plan to raise taxes, in what was called the Finance Bill, and this created a spark for protests across the country. According to estimates by the state-funded rights commission, 39 people have been killed in those demonstrations. Parliament was set on fire and hundreds were arrested. Many of those protesters are in their twenties, from what is known as Generation Z. Ultimately, President Ruto changed course. He said he would not go ahead with tax increases, and he would listen to the country’s youth - but the protests continue. Host James Reynolds brings together several Gen Z protesters to discuss what is making them so angry. He hears about the struggle to get work, even if you have qualifications; and the difficulties in making enough money to get by, even if you have a job. “I finished school about four years ago but I still have to live with my parents because, even if I move out, I would not be able to pay my own bills,” said 25-year-old graduate, Ivy. “I would not be able to pay my rent, to get food. So I don’t really have a choice but to live at home.” We also hear from an older generation of protestors with their thoughts on a changing Kenya and its youth. A Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC OS team. Photo: Demonstrators take part in an anti-government rally in Nairobi, Kenya, 02 July 2024. Photo credit: DANIEL IRUNGU/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock