Eighty per cent of Kenyans support the battles of ‘Generation Z’ to improve the country, and also the peaceful street demonstrations.
This was revealed in a survey published by the ‘Trends and Insight For Africa’ (TIFA) company, which conveyed more or less the same data for both 18-34 year olds and (and this is significant) those over 35. However, the polling company found that the majority of respondents (69%) admitted that they had never taken to the streets to protest or participated in awareness-raising campaigns or shared messages on social media.
One in 10 Kenyans admitted to having protested in the streets and squares of the country, while 5% claimed to have donated water, food, transport or other items to protesters. Only 4% said they were activists and participated in campaigns on X or TikTok.
The other relevant fact is that 79% of the respondents admitted to having voted for the current president Ruto in the past elections and to being evidently disappointed with his performance, many more than those interviewed said they had sided with Raila Odinga's Azimio coalition.
Odinga who in fact now seems to be closer to the positions of the government and his former rival, rather than those of the protesting youth. ‘They scream that Ruto has to go, but after that what would happen?’ said Odinga at a press conference, hinting that a future without the current president could be worse than the present, either in the case of his place being taken by the current vice-president, Rigathi Gachagua described as a ‘bad politician’, or in the case of total anarchy or power in the hands of the military.
‘We do not care about Ruto, we care about the good of Kenya,’ Odinga concluded.
Meanwhile, in the government reshuffle, there is talk of ‘broad understandings’, with some ministers possibly coming from the opposition.