So What Next, They Ask? Empowering the Kenyan Youth: The Path Forward After the Gen Z Revolutio n

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 some as foreign-aided individuals with interests in destabilizing the nation, targeting those who do not toe the line. Nationalistic agendas and tribal mechanizations, all fueled by a clique solely interested in holding power, will be fronted.

But if you take a moment and think with us, what might really stand for a well-intentioned way forward? A majority of Kenyan youths are entrepreneurial. They create ideas each day, hoping to contribute to building their nation. Unfortunately, we have a country whose leadership has very limited interest in supporting enterprise development. When they pretend to support it, youths are bundled into group formations with very challenging dynamics. 

Where they can secure financing, it comes in bits that only motivate gambling and a lackluster approach to life. How does a Fuliza loan of Kshs. 500 enable one to set up a business? How can one invest Kshs. 750 from the Hustla Fund to start or run an enterprise?

The realities of the Kenyan economy are limiting for many young people. A paradigm shift towards honest opportunities for young people is urgently required. As we plan who becomes cabinet secretary or how doctors shall be paid, a real interest in enterprise development should be sustained. This does not need the government to launch another loan product for SMEs. Instead, a multi-stakeholder engagement, primarily involving financial institutions, should be established. Creating a platform for young people to monetize their energies, ideas, and entrepreneurial ambitions could be a starting point. It is saddening that a section of the Kenyan population can access financial resources for opulence, while many others with brilliant business ideas struggle to bring their ideas to life.

Much more can be discussed. There are issues in licensing businesses and even taxation on startups. We should not shy away from the possibility of creating a new tax haven by diminishing the potential that already exists.