How to Inspire a Generation to Action
The Hashtag that united and activated Kenyan Gen-z
June 2024 will be remembered as a tipping point in Kenya’s history, and this is my small part in documenting the inflexion points in the movement.
Political discussions often remain confined to political pundits' timelines, but things were different this time. A collective anger against the highly controversial Finance Bill 2024 grew across Kenyan Twitter (X).
Bills were previously passed in parliament with minimal media attention and fanfare. Only the politically plugged-in paid attention while most Kmeyans went about their lives. This time, due to increasing economic hardship and government arrogance, Kenyans started to pay attention to the national budget, a.k.a, the Finance Bill 2024. Something was wrong,
The Finance Bill 2024 felt suspicious because, for the first time, members of Parliament, famous for arguing with each other, were speaking with one voice. They all wanted a hurried passing of the bill, and this unnatural speed rightly raised the alarm.
Week Zero: The Radicalisation of Kenyans
Red flags kept piling up. Public participation in the bill was shambolic; members of parliament were unresponsive and refused to change the atrocious provisions in the finance bill. Kenyans were livid and took to social media to vent. They expressed their disdain by crowdsourcing arrogant responses from politicians.
The blatant disrespect and disregard for the voter's requests was all it took to tip the scales. On June 13th, 2024, #RejectFinanceBill2024 became a trending topic on X as Kenyans unanimously opposed the bill.
This trending topic was different from any other before it. For the first time, a trend wasn’t hijacked by businesses promoting their products. The digital pirates hung their boots and joined the voice against the bill.
Accustomed to acting without consequence, politicians maintained their arrogance as Kenyans educated each other on the injustice of the bill. Posters simplifying the legalese were in heavy circulation, and an often ambivalent population was stirred into action—the threat of increased burdens on already strained budgets made Kenyans sit up and pay attention.
Activism in Kenya is often siloed. But this time around, people from across industries chipped in. Creatives, artists, and techies created innovative civic education channels to educate fellow Kenyans. There was a rise of tools illustrating the implications of the finance bill, and the tech community was notably present with innovations like the Finance Bill GPT.
Power to the People: Piling on the pressure
Since regular public participation and leadership engagement channels were futile, an unlikely strategy was unlocked. Get personal. While the plan was to send direct messages and phone calls, Kenyans soon got up close and personal.
The phone numbers of elected Members of Parliament (MPs) were shared publicly on X to encourage Kenyans to exert pressure on their area representatives before the first reading of the Finance Bill. While the tactic was debatable in ethics, it was the first time ordinary Kenyans could speak directly to often out-of-reach MPs.
On Friday, June 14th, 2024, activist Julius Kamau Kimani disrupted Treasury CS Njuguna Ndungu's photo session as he observed the customary march to parliament with the budget briefcase. Julius was arraigned in court alongside Eric Mankuyu, and while Mankuyu denied the accusation, he did not take a plea. The judge ordered a mental health assessment as Julius went on a rant.
“I want to speak, my dear friends because when you try to keep me silent, my heart is burning; it’s burning because of this country. I don’t know whether you are going to sentence me; I am ready to be sentenced to 100 years, but I am going to keep speaking the truth until the day I leave this world. My dear friends, we must resist. Resistance is the only way for this country,”
Julius is not new to disruptive activism. He previously attempted to approach President Ruto in the December 2023 60th edition of the Jamhuri Day celebrations and was arrested in July 2023 after chaining himself to a post as he participated in the Saba Saba protests in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD). While he was previously easy to dismiss as crazy, his courage was celebrated nationally.
It’s often the ‘unhinged’ that snap us out of our apathy.
Like the first domino to fall in a house of cards, Julius’s rousing speech in court might have been the spark that emboldened Kenyans. Top Kenyan digital creators popularised the hashtag #RejectFinanceBill2024, and national irritation gradually rose. His stunt inspired Kenyans, and ideas of protesting started to take root.
Renowned political activist Boniface Mwangi announced plans for a protest on Tuesday, June 18th, to exert pressure on Parliament as they held the first reading of the finance bill. While Boniface is well known in Kenya and beyond for his activism and iconic protests, no one could have predicted the ripple effect of this moment and announcement.
The movement grew organically and leaderless, with social energy directed towards holding leaders to account. The enemy was clear, allowing Kenyans to overcome barriers of class, tribe, and political affiliation. With social media as a galvanising force, hopeful expectations were in the air during the protests.
The Pursuit of Goodwill
Corruption is a historical vice in Kenya. While every regime since independence had its fair share of scandals, the arrogance of the Kemya Kwanza leadership is unmatched. Videos of MPs flaunting their wealth on social media fueled the fire, and Kenyans were hell-bent on pushing for government reforms.
With public trust in the leadership fading, the finance bill conversations inspired a collective pride in being a Kenyan citizen. The generous offers of expertise, technology, and courage became contagious. As the leadership continued to fail Kenyans, they fell in love with each other and their collective goodwill for the country.
Leadership is a contract of goodwill, and change is inevitable when the contract is breached.
Week Zero was the tipping point for a generation. No one was coming to save them. The enemy was insufferable, arrogant, and out of line. Week Zero was a social awakening—the start of the reclamation of power.
Follow me for more articles on the Kenyan Finance Bill Protests Series. I’m a social impact strategist who loves to write about urban culture and how tech and media can be used for good.
