Friends of River Ezava-Forezava

The dust is slowly settling. After weeks of an unforeseen protests, which will go down in Kenya's history, we can all agree that things will never be the same again. Revolutions have occurred in this country, but none reached the level that Gen Z has driven us to. Or is it just momentary excitement? As active participants in this particular revolution, young people are being asked: what’s next? While the question sounds honest and well-intentioned, it echoes old narratives. Who will you crown to represent you in the upcoming cabinet nominations? Who will be your voice of reason within the corridors of power? What will you intentionally bring as suggestions, only to be heard and ignored in the dialogue forums? While this uproar has shaken power to its core, those who wield it are exploring all possibilities to retain it. They will lure the most vicious protesters into unsaid traps. They will create spaces for the most popular on digital platforms. Slowly but surely, they will brand ...

We typically avoid political commentary on this blog, as our focus is elsewhere and we don't want to alienate our readership. If political discourse isn't your cup of tea, feel free to skip this post. The past few weeks have been tumultuous, with both local and international media casting a grim light on recent events. What started as well-intentioned, peaceful, youth-led protests against the Finance Bill 2024 quickly descended into violence and chaos. One might wonder: could these unfortunate events have been prevented? Was there a chance for reason to prevail among government officials and civil society before the situation spiraled out of control with occupations of parliament, threats on State House, and the destruction of personal businesses? Now that the dust is settling, the nation is trying to piece itself back together. Our President, bowing to public pressure, decided to scrap the entire Finance Bill, instructing parliament to delete all its articles and start over. B...