Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi has advised fellow legislators to be humble in their engagement with Gen Z warning that the lot has the numerical advantage and can easily utilise to send them packing.
Speaking on the floor of the House on Wednesday, Murungi said the young generation is tech-savvy and would take them little time to mobilise themselves online and send home whoever they wanted.
“This is a highly educated group, Mr Speaker, they are extremely good with computers and IT and their communication is instant. If they decide to speak a million of them right now, they can do so and deliver their message,” he said.
His remarks come at a time some electorate are mulling over the idea of recalling their MPs for ‘betraying’ them by giving the impugned Finance Bill, 2024 a clean bill of health despite widespread calls for them to shoot it down.
Murungi said the Gen Z are here not just to clean up their ‘mess’ but to fix all the historical injustices the older generation of politicians and their parents failed to address during their sunrise years.
“We have failed in many areas, as leaders we have told them we will accomplish a lot of things but failed to do so,” he said.
The senator said that given Gen Zs' good knowledge and understanding of modern technology, especially computers, leaders will in the future be voted in or out online before election day.
“So it’s good for me to advise my colleagues here to live well with these youth because if they decide in their online campaigns that a certain senator is incapable, Mr Speaker he will find himself in trouble on election day,” Murungi said.
“So, let us be humble, let’s fully listen to them, let’s organise meetings with them to understand what they would like done more so that we can live well with them."
That the Gen Z uprising has sent shivers in the political class cannot be understated going by the current political realignments in the country.
President William Ruto whose plans to raise Sh346 billion through new taxes in the Finance Bill, 2024 were thwarted after weeklong street protests prompted the President to withdraw the piece of legislation.
Some MPs who are known to have voted for the Bill have also borne the brunt of Gen Zs' fury after their businesses were destroyed.
Ruto’s strategy to still the storm and steer his ship offshore in one piece also appeared headed for murky waters after Gen Z protested the inclusion of Azimio leader Raila Odinga in plans to hold a national dialogue.
Raila on Wednesday said he has received the message of their disapproval of his association with the impending talks under the National Multi-Sectoral Forum amid fears that this could lead to a handshake with Ruto who they have demanded that he resigns.
“Nimeambiwa na hawa viongozi kwamba mumesema hamtaki handshake. Ujumbe umefika,” Raila said on X.
(I have been told by these leaders that you don’t want a handshake. Your message has been received)
The message was a caption to a group photo with youtful senators Eddy Ochieng, Crystal Asige, Irene Mayaka and Edwin Sifuna.
On Wednesday, Wiper leader and Azimio co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka said the coalition is with the Gen Zs on opposing the national dialogue idea.
"In terms of the Gen Z revolution, it appears that the administration lacks an understanding of public sentiment. Generation Z does not wish to engage in dialogue. They want action and Wiper agrees," Kalonzo said.
In a statement, the Wiper leader said the government does not need dialogue to implement critical projects in the country and cast aspersions on the true intentions of the dialogue which Ruto said will start on Monday, July 15.
“Dialogue is not required to assess public debt because the Auditor General's Office has the same role. The attempt to usurp the Constitution by forming a taskforce on the subject is equally telling. You do not need dialogue to post medical interns or to sack corrupt government officials," he said.