Kenya’s Gen Z Anti-tax Revolutionaries Embark On Protest

A bold and new generation of young Kenyan protesters has emerged on the streets forcing the government to back down on some of a slew of unpopular tax proposals.

What started as anger on TikTok about a controversial finance bill has morphed into a revolt – without being organised by political parties.

The government of President William Ruto has managed to do what generations of politicians in the East African nation have failed to do – unite huge numbers of Kenyans beyond ethnicity and party.

On Tuesday, hundreds of trainer-wearing protesters, who feel Kenyans are already overtaxed with little to show for it, braved tear gas lobbed by police to march through the capital, Nairobi, bringing the city’s central business district to a standstill.

Armed with their smartphones, they live-streamed the intense confrontations with officers.

Organisers encouraged fellow protesters to wear black clothes, but some still turned up in ripped jeans and stylish hairdos.

The youthful demonstrators, popularly referred to as Gen Zs – in reference to the term generally used to describe those born during the late 1990s and early 2000s – showed up in huge numbers, vowing to ensure that their discontent did not end with just a hashtag or meme.

Many of them were demonstrating for the first time and waved signs such as “Do Not Force The Taxes On Us” , while others chanted: “Ruto must go”.

The hashtags used to pressure MPs and rally protesters were “#OccupyParliament” and “#RejectFinanceBill2024”.

BBC