Fearless and tribeless spirit of Saba Saba has been rekindled in youths

Youth during Gen Z anniversary protest in Nairobi, on June 25, 2025. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

Kenya is experiencing tough times as things go wrong and those in charge appear lost and seemingly not to know what they do. There are other times when Kenya experienced disturbing reality. There was the original Saba Saba of Saturday, July 7, 1990 when Kenneth Matiba and Charles Rubia applied for a licence to hold a rally at Kamkunji. The licence was denied and, as law abiding citizens, they called off the rally. The two were detained on July 4, 1990. But these leaders, the people still went to Kamkunji ‘leaderless, fearless, partyless, and tribeless.’ Three days of confrontation with the police showed that Kenyans had lost fear. Thereafter, the initiative for action shifted from the government to wananchi.

Similarly, the initiative has shifted from ‘Rutocrats’ to the Gen Zs who are ‘leaderless, partyless, fearless, and tribeless’. Rutocrats, members of the William Ruto-Raila Odinga co-presidency, are newly-minted Kenyan version of British aristocracy. They show off new wealth, disdain lesser mortals, and are oblivious to the plight of ordinary people. Raila, a former activist for people rights, said that he took “a very bold step” by joining Ruto in order to ensure that “anytime we find a chance that can change the lives of our people we take it.”

He saw the chance, took it, donated ‘experts’ to Rutocracy, and became Ruto’s defender. John Mbadi, a donated expert, while commenting on the police killing of Albert Ojwang, vowed “never to betray Ruto”. He joined Kimani Ichung’wah whom Raila man Junet Mohamed declared ‘kingpin’ of the Kikuyu.

Real power in Rutocracy, however, is in an inner circle comprising Farouk Kibet, Oscar Sudi, and Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen. Trying to sound tough on the Gen Zs and claiming Ruto’s endorsement, Murkomen shocked the public by promising to protect the police as he ordered them to shoot people. The order backfired as shocked police officers demurred. Murkomen then unconvincingly tried to retract.

The Gen Zs, reigniting the spirit of Saba Saba, has elicited four reactions. First, there is general admiration for their ability to challenge the excesses of Rutocracy. Second, there is the realisation that they are products of Mwai Kibaki’s watoto wasome order. Besides reading and writing, they have learned how to think and to ask difficult questions when things go wrong. Third, has been an effort to sabotage and undermine Gen Z’s credibility by enabling ‘goons’ to penetrate them and by misrepresenting them as lackeys of certain politicians.

Fourth, there has been an effort to whip up anti-Kikuyu frenzy, as in colonial days, to divert attention from the serious issues that the Gen Zs raised. The plot has portrayed the Gen Z movement as Kikuyu uprising against Rutocracy. Among the advocates of this ‘tribal’ logic was Mutahi Ngunyi’s State House connected ‘Fort Hall School of Government’ which crusaded for Uhuru Kenyatta and then ‘defected’ to Ruto’s camp where anti-Kikuyu hostility has value. Tweeting that he is “Gun For Hire … Dog of war…. A Mercenary,” his engagement in ethnic baiting, therefore, was escapist suggestion for Rutocrats to avoid addressing Gen Z-generated challenges. 

Those, besides Ngunyi, struggling to discredit the Gen Zs have little credibility and encounter disbelief. Government, accused of, and admitting, to extrajudicial killings and abductions, is struggling. The Gen Zs, in contrast, are believable despite attempts to discredit them and have became such a force that politicians want to identify with them. They seemingly are also attracted to former Chief Justice David Maraga because he probably is the ‘cleanest’ of presidential aspirants. CS Murkomen’s unpalatable utterances made Senator Aaron Cheruiyot call for his removal. Even ‘co-president’ Raila distanced himself from the unfortunate Rutocratic CS.

There is no reversing the Gen Z Saba Saba-like spirit. Attempt to criminalise protests is reactive and will not work. It instead makes the government appear retrogressive and desperate enough to subvert the Constitution. Rutocracy is thus in trouble.