President William Ruto’s political acumen is being put to the test as he attempts to strike a balance between the demands of Generation Z and his political survival strategy, according to awyer and Safina party deputy leader Willis Otieno.
The attorney stated that President Ruto’s plan to gain legitimacy with the Gen Zs by utilizing Azimio’s Raila Odinga will fail during a panel discussion on Daybreak.
Raila and Ruto called for a dialogue strategy on July 10, 2024, to decide on the nation’s new course of action. Gen Zs rejected the dialogue strategy, claiming that the president could have implemented important demands—like apprehending rogue police officers who killed peaceful protestors—without dialogue.
Attorney Otieno expressed doubts about the strategy’s effectiveness, arguing that the youth do not trust any political organization at this time and that Raila does not speak for them. He maintained that voting for the candidates they want in office is the only way to rebuild public confidence.
“Kenyans have taken back control of their government. President Ruto is working to restore legitimacy, but he is unable to speak for them in regards to the Gen Z protests. “The people said, ‘Keep off, this is our protests,’ when Raila first came out to say we have a dialogue,” the attorney recalled.
“You’re not going to gain credibility from Raila. We need to figure out a mechanism by which the electorate can return the sovereignty they have reclaimed. It must be by ballot, not through backroom deals, and Ruto is free to run for office if he so chooses.”
For many years, Raila has been hailed as the “political savior” who kept previous regimes’ presidencies intact during their darkest moments, rendering him something of a political mystic.
However, the Gen Z protests have completely upended the political landscape by demonstrating the youth’s unambiguous lack of leadership. Driven by the need for accountability and sound governance, they have stayed clear of the political narratives.
“You won’t obtain credibility from Raila. We need to figure out how the people can return their reclaimed sovereignty to an elected body. Ruto may run for office if he so chooses, but it won’t happen through backroom deals. It will happen through the ballot.”
Raila is a political enigma because, for many decades, he has been hailed as the “political savior” who kept the previous regimes’ presidencies intact through their darkest moments.
However, with the youth adamantly declaring their lack of leadership, the Gen Z protests have completely upended the political landscape. Because they are motivated by the need for transparency and sound governance, they have stayed away from political narratives.
