President Ruto’s Reaction To Gen-Z ‘Greeting Threat’ Was Well Thought Out
The Mt Kenya Times 
President William Ruto
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- Mr President, we are Gen-Zees and as you are aware we have been ‘greeting’ some leaders. We will also come to greet you.
- In his response, the President stated. I have no problem with that. I, however, want to tell you that I have so far been greeted by many people.
- As leaders, we have a duty to serve the people of Kenya by doing the right thing. So, we cannot run away from our responsibilities.
- I had earlier written an article on this column. These were my observations. When the Generation-Z started their protests, many Kenyans were caught off-guard.
- But at the back of my mind, I knew euphoric revolutionary mood which GenZ seemed to have created would fizzle out as fast as it came.
A few days ago, President William Ruto convened a town hall meeting with the university students.
I had an oportunity to watch the President engage them in candid discussions that were aired live by the mainstream Television Stations.
The meeting came in the wake of split over newly introduced university funding model.
The President set the ball rolling by stating that the model was adopted after wider consultations.
The views of the stakeholders who included student leaders were incorporated.
The President was referring to the views that had been collated and gathered by Presidential Working Party On Education Reforms. The proposals were later presented to parliament for approval.
As the President Ruto took a bunch of questions from the students, one of them told him.
Mr President, we are Gen-Zees and as you are aware we have been ‘greeting’ some leaders. We will also come to greet you.
In his response, the President stated. I have no problem with that. I, however, want to tell you that I have so far been greeted by many people.
As leaders, we have a duty to serve the people of Kenya by doing the right thing. So, we cannot run away from our responsibilities.
I had earlier written an article on this column. These were my observations. When the Generation-Z started their protests, many Kenyans were caught off-guard.
But at the back of my mind, I knew euphoric revolutionary mood which GenZ seemed to have created would fizzle out as fast as it came.
I had a number of reasons.
First, besides casting a picture of being leaderless, faceless and clueless, the members had no plan and knowledge of where they wanted to take the country.
The other great undoing was that they believed in themselves and hence treated those who did not fall within their age-bracket with utter contempt and disrespect.
Besides a good number of those leading these protests disrespected the places of worship.
In what would be seen as despising the church leaders, in many occasions, they lived to their word of occupying the churches.
They would push their way to the Altar of God and demand to address the congregants.
If Ruto goes, what next? If you ask them this question, they would tell you. We don’t care what happens after we have completed our mission.
Stop telling us that DP Gachagua or military personnel will take over and both were ruthless. Even if the military takes over, we won’t mind. Here, they were answering ODM leader Raila Odinga.
It was also widely believed that GenZ protests were sponsored by foreign powers. The aim was to plunge Kenya into anarchy and mayhem. This explains why many Kenyans also opted to distance themselves from these protests.
For me, I would only credit GenZ for their weird and unguided pronouncements;#Ruto and Gachagua Must Go. Those who are not within our age-bracket are enemies of Kenya. We do not need them. We will also ensure they do not vote in future elections.
The other glaring weakness of Gen-Z was that they had underestimated President William Ruto’s capability to vanquish them. Dr Ruto had a bagful of arsenals. He was waiting for the opportune time to unleash them.
To me, he had won. ‘Nane Nane’ had been touted as mother of all protests. This did not come to pass. It is only in the capital city of Nairobi where pockets of protestors showed up.
I had earlier written an article in this column. The history of independent Kenya is replete with popular agitations for institutional, administrative, legal reforms and expansion of democratic space.
The notable ones were the clamor for multiparty democracy and new constitutional dispensation.
The common thread in these struggles was that they were all realized within the framework of the constitution and other laws of the land.
In 1991, then President Daniel Arap Moi steered the process that led to repeal of Section 2A ushering in political pluralism.
This paved the way for the first multiparty election held in 1992. President Moi won this election and he was also re-elected in subsequent election held in 1997.
The independent party KANU was however vanquished in 2002 polls.
President Moi was not eligible in this elections because he had served his two-terms of five years each as provided in the constitution.
Earlier in August 1982, an attempt by the Kenyan military (Airforce) to overthrow the government of Moi had flopped.
In the aftermath of 2007 presidential election, President Mwai Kibaki, who had succeeded Moi, faced the worst post election violence in Kenya’s history.
Again, the solution to this political crisis was achieved through the parameters of the law.
During President Uhuru Kenyatta’s era, there was a handshake. The law was also followed to the letter and spirit in clinching that deal.
In all these processes, members of parliament would play their role in introducing the changes that were needed.
GenZ had shown that they have no time for the constitution and other laws.
They are hellbent on using unconstitutional means to topple the democratically elected government of President William Samoei Ruto.
To me, they are setting stage for anarchy, mayhem and bloodbath.
The bids to topple previous governments failed to materialize because Kenyans do not subscribe to the ill-advised concept of overthrowing government.
So I would not expect them to support Generation-Z.
President Ruto had earlier stated ”we are going to protect the country”.
I’m sure here the President was referring to the criminal gangs and goons that have in the recent past infiltrated these protests. Hundreds of business people were left counting losses after their businesses were looted and vandalized.
Initially, these protests were peaceful. At the time the President praised the young people for coming out in big numbers to present their grievances.
Kenya is democratic country and it is governed by the rule of law.
Therefore and as stipulated in Article 37 of the constitution, you are free to air your views.
I have heard you. As your President, I want to promise you that I’m going to address all the issues that you have raised.
We cannot however sort out these matters in the streets. Let us start talking and engaging.
I’m soon going to unveil a road map for a national dialogue. This is after wider consultations with Gen-Z and other stakeholders.
But in a swift rejoinder, Gen-Z rejected the talks. Our movement is leaderless and party less. So, we can only engage you through X-Space. Besides, it is us who will invite you and you will only respond to the questions we will ask you.
President Ruto agreed to their terms. He later held a candid conversation with them online.
Despite assuring them that he would address all the issues, Gen-Z and millennials did not wait for the dust to settle. They immediately returned back to the streets.
The #RejectFinanceBill2024 now changed to #RutoMustGoNow.
One can therefore where the President was coming from when he asked the congregants. Have you given me a go-ahead to protect the country? That is what I will do.
It is worth noting that our democracy is anchored on universal suffrage of one-man, one-vote.
The constitution stipulates that the term of the President is five years.
So, if you want to remove him from office, you have to wait until he completes the term.
It does not however mean that the President cannot removed from office. But this power can only be exercised by parliament. The President will go home if a member file a motion of impeachment and it garners support of a two-third majority.
The constitution does not provide for the removal of democratically-elected President through people or military uprisings.
If this is allowed, the country will go to dog. Anarchy, lawlessness and bloodbath will reign high.
ODM leader Raila Odinga had raised a similar caution. Ruto goes, then what. RutoMustGo cannot be an end.
I cannot sit to see my country plunging into anarchy.
Raila added: In Egypt, people thought they have won after toppling their President through popular uprising.
Today people are crying and regretting. There are no jobs, corruption, inflation and cost of living is very high.
It is worth to note that President Ruto has so far addressed most of demands raised by Generation-Z. One of them is dissolving the entire cabinet. The new cabinet, which is reflecting the face of Kenya, has since been sworn in. It has two Gen zees.
Erick Muuga, a 30 years old, is the cabinet nominee for Water and Sanitation.
Besides, he is well educated and with the requisite experience.
The prerogative to appoint the cabinet lies with the President.
President Mwai Kibaki had made a similar move. This is after his banana side which supported the draft constitution of 2005 lost to No-Orange side which was led by then Roads minister Raila Odinga.
He recalled some of the ministers when he unveiled his new-look cabinet. President Ruto seemed to have been guided by the same script.
Besides reconstituting the cabinet, President Ruto unveiled a raft of austerity measures and scrapping of unconstitutional offices starting with those of the First Lady and spouse of Deputy President.
He also put on hold the appointment of Chief Administrative Secretaries (CASs).
Besides, he scrapped confidential accounts and immediately stopped the renovation of government offices. He also stopped top government officials from travelling outside the country. My office will only approve essential trips. He also announced that plans are underway to scrap and merge 47 State Corporations.
If the military takes over, there is no guarantee it will hand over power back to civilians.
The crisis can worsen and take long before it is resolved.
Remember the military will have an upper hand during the negotiations.
So, the other question is. Who will they hand over power to? The power might end up in the wrong hands.
This is what happened in countries such as Egypt, Chad, Sudan, Mali.
The citizens thought they have won after toppling their respective President through popular uprisings.
But alas, the worst form of dictatorship creeped back.
Though Generation-Z and millennials have been reiterating that they have no time for the opposition leaders, the leaders are still supporting them.
To me, they are simply doing this for political reasons.
If the game plan of Gen-Z succeeds, they think they will immediately step out and fill the vacuum.
This is a wishful thinking. Who told them that Gen-Z will just step aside?
Let me give free advice. As media reports indicated, GenZs were not alone. They were powerful people who were pulling the string from behind.
These are the same people who will advise them not to give way.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga Is A Writer And Political Analyst Based In Nairobi
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