Beyond Gen Z protest, Kenya still remains land of promise

A burning police vehicle during demonstrations against the Finance Bill 2024 in Nairobi on June 24, 2024. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

This has been a stress-filled week but one in which, in true Kenyan fashion, the country avoided a precipice. In Kenya's short history, we have managed to avoid such abysses in ways that can only be termed miraculous.

In 1982, Kenya almost joined the family of failed states through a military coup. The years that followed were not democratically or economically progressive, but from Africa's experience with coups, the continent is on the whole better off with incompetent civilian administrations than "revolutionary" military takeovers. The latter easily mutate into permanent and incompetent dictatorships.

Ten years later in 1992, the clamor for multipartyism had totally paralysed the country. Nairobi and most of the country was in regular shutdown as protests led to brutal police action and numerous maimings, jailings and killings. Just when KANU looked most unyielding, President Daniel arap Moi surprised friend and foe when he championed the repeal of the much-hated Section 2A which had made Kenya a dejure one party state. Even though a divided opposition meant the ruling party stayed in power, we had averted a catastrophe, and we made some progress.

Fast forward 10 years later in 2002, many assumed that President Moi would not hand over the reins of power after Uhuru Kenyatta lost the elections. Many of us, then in our GenZ years, went for Christmas and said goodbye to our parents, ready to "occupy" State House if the elections were stolen. Shocking many of his close allies, President Moi handed over power peacefully, flew out of State House, leaving some of his allies openly wailing, and went into retirement. Kenya pressed refresh button once again.

Barely five years later in 2007, we were at it again. The disputed elections of 2007 took the country into civil war and by February 2008, we were once again sinking into Banana Republic territory. Much to the chagrin of Kibaki's kitchen cabinet, the president entered into a Government of National Unity with Raila Odinga, pulling Kenya away from another precipice.

Ten years later in 2017, the hotly contested presidential elections were annulled by the Supreme Court. Few young democracies survive that kind of occurrence, and many had already written Kenya off. But we managed to avoid calamity and in March 2018, the Uhuru-Raila handshake gave the country the political calm it needed to continue on its democratic and economic path.

This year's "GenZ protests" fall in that line of Kenya's "back from the precipice" story. At the end of Tuesday after the storming of Parliament, epitaphs for Kenya had already been written. Our "friends" from the West were overflowing in the airports, leaving this sinking ship. But by Wednesday night, we had pulled ourselves back from collapse. I pray that this peace and calm last, for it is clear that Kenya has the level of maturity that rejects diving headlong into chaos. There are of course those who celebrate and wish for "revolution". Those who are wiser know different; constitutionally undergirded evolution is always more sustainable than much hyped revolutions. Who can forget the giddy Orange and Arab Spring revolutions and their consequences!

Kenya instead has an opportunity to rejig, and it is not impossible. Courtesy of our Constitution, we have built strong institutions at both state and non-state levels. Our Judiciary remains the strongest pillar in protecting our constitutionalism. Our media and civil society remain strong and fairly independent. Civic awareness and willingness to engage in civic action amongst the population is high, more so amongst younger Kenyans. Our economy, though battered by years of bad governance and reckless decisions, is still vibrant and can rejuvenate.

This Nation can be renewed if we are innovative in applying policies that impact the widest number, especially those at the bottom, even where they come at a cost. Kenyans will be willing to carry their fair share of the burden of progress if they feel the burdens are shared. That will mean our leaders shedding some of the more unpalatable optics. Some of these issues may look minor, but they can be the spark that causes unstoppable fires. But Kenya is land of promise, built on hope. We will overcome, together, united.

-The writer is an advocate of the High Court