How to handle Gen Z's silent rebellion against Parental Wisdom on Career Choices

Hundreds of youth staged anti-government protests along Moi Avenue in Nairobi on July 23, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

In a sun-drenched living room in Nairobi, an age-old drama unfolds with a distinctly modern twist. "Medicine is the way to go," I insist, my voice rising with conviction. "When the economy tanks, people get depressed, they fall ill, and guess what? Doctors are in business."

That altruism is born out of experience. For Kenyans of my generation, career choices were matters of life and death, starting from high school. Parents and teachers and career guidance counselors determine our futures. "When the economy is good, people overindulge, and they eat more, drink more, more trips, have more accidents, and become unhealthy. Again doctors are in business," my teacher told me. "Whether the economy is good or bad, you will always have a job."