This article summarizes an event hosted by the Global Grassroots Support Network (GGSN) on July 12th, 2024. This call was held to convene folks from East Africa to reflect on the Gen Z facing, leaderless protests that emerged against the 2024 finance bill.
Many protestors were killed in these protests, many were also injured. Following actions, many activists faced abduction. There were also reports of infiltration. As a result of the protests, Kenya’s President removed budget lines, and fired the cabinet.
Quotes from group discussion have been anonymized.
Takeaways from this moment
“The protest is a cumulation of many issues; the finance bill was a trigger for all these grievances; housing, health etc. The bill was a commonality.”
“This is a question of ‘Finya’ (to keep pressing): Where we go next goes back to what it’s all about; basic health, education, infrastructure like roads.”
“The challenges of this leaderlessness is that they’re punishing anyone because they can’t find a leader.”
“Unless you have a shadow government connected to the movement that can step in if Ruto goes, someone worse could step in, as we’ve seen in leaderless movement moments throughout history.”
“The government will coopt leadership, which is why we’re maintaining things as leaderless. Leaders emerge from struggle. This article highlights what decentralized movements look like.”
“The bill has been translated into 20 different languages, so that the information reaches more people… someone made a website on everyone in the cabinet; their salaries etc. to make this information more available.”
Sustaining accountability beyond ‘Ruto must go’
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Advocating for the government to implement the public Participation Act, which could change the trajectory of how communities can prioritize development needs.
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Advocating for yearly audits for MPs, wealth declaration etc for those in power.
- Helping young people use their voice in budget proposals and policy involvement.
- Education for young people to understand the budget making processes and what it means to advocate for expenditure, etc.
- Translating all documents, including the constitution, into local languages.
- Supporting young people to register as voters and take part in electing their leaders. 18-30yrs olds hardly voted in the last election.
- Support amplifying the ongoing issue of abduction and murdering of young people.
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Further questions
- What are the other strategies and tactics used that made this successful?
- How did so many people become activated in a demand for accountability? How can this be leveraged to keep this sustained?
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We need to ask for more; the cabinet dissolving and rejecting the bill is not enough. How are we defining what we’re looking for?
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People who are posting on social media are being abducted; there are ongoing risks. What are the smaller steps towards what we want, and how can we keep our community members safe in the process?
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We need to address the US. What is our relationship as Kenyans to the rest of the world; the IMF?
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Are older organizers who know how state power works collaborating with young people?
