For too long, those in power controlled the story of our nations and the world. They told us what to believe, what to see and what to hear. They owned the microphones, the cameras and the headlines.
Citizens were forced to consume propaganda dressed up as news, and state brutality was swept under the carpet of silence. But that era is gone. Today, social media has smashed down the walls of censorship and handed ordinary people the loudest, sharpest weapon against oppression – the truth.
Ten or twenty years ago, such revolutions as those witnessed in Nepal, Bangladesh or Kenya were almost impossible. Back then, the world depended on international media giants like CNN and BBC. These media houses decided what was newsworthy, how it was framed and what the world should think about it. If they ignored you, your story never existed. If they distorted your reality, the distortion became “truth”. States and powerful interests thrived in this arrangement. They fed propaganda to these outlets, which in turn sold it to the people.
However, that monopoly has been destroyed. Social media has shattered the chains of information control. A young protester in Mathare with nothing but a cracked smartphone can now tell the world what is happening, in real time. Unlike the polished propaganda of old, this truth is raw, unedited and undeniable.
Globally, this has ended the power of state propaganda. From the Arab Spring to #EndSARS in Nigeria, from #BlackLivesMatter in the US to the uprisings in Sudan, ordinary people have taken control of the narrative. Kenya’s Gen Z joined this global wave, proving that the truth cannot be silenced anymore.
The Gen Z revolution in Kenya catapulted change in the country. In 2024, our young people, tired of corruption, impunity and lies, rose in defiance. What shook the foundations of power was not a political rally or a newspaper exposé. It was TikTok videos, X (formerly Twitter) threads, viral hashtags and live streams. It was creativity, humour and courage packaged into posts that spread like wildfire. Gen Z did not wait for permission to speak. They spoke and the entire nation, indeed the world, listened.
Social media became their battlefield. When protesters were tear-gassed, beaten or even killed, the state expected silence. Instead, phones came out. Videos circulated in seconds. Faces of brutality were exposed to millions. Blood on the streets of Nairobi was instantly broadcast to Kisumu, Eldoret, Mombasa and beyond. For the first time in our history, oppression could not hide. Every bullet fired and every baton raised was documented. The whole world became a witness, and with that, impunity was stripped bare.
The hashtags told the story. #RejectFinanceBill2024 became more than a slogan. It was a rallying cry that united millions against oppressive taxation. #EndPoliceBrutality exposed the faces and names of those brutalised by state officers. #OccupyParliament mobilised thousands of young Kenyans to physically and digitally storm the gates of power, while #RutoMustGo trended globally, shaming the regime before the eyes of the world. These were not just hashtags. They were digital grenades, blowing apart lies, mobilising crowds and forcing the state to pay attention.
In Kenya, the government has tried to cling to its old tactics. Press conferences, sanitised statements and shameless spin still flow daily. However, within minutes, young Kenyans dismantle the lies online. They fact-check in real time, expose half-truths and call out hypocrisy without fear. A government tweet is now met with thousands of replies that hold leaders accountable. State-sponsored propaganda, once so powerful, has been reduced to a laughing stock. In this era, narrative belongs to the people. Not the palace.
Social media has also built communities of courage. It has replaced fear with solidarity. When police abduct a protester, hundreds show up at the station because they saw the alert online. When a young Kenyan is brutalised, their story goes viral and suddenly, they are not alone. This collective visibility protects the vulnerable and warns the oppressors that every act of violence will have consequences.
Social media is not just about resistance. It is about building the Kenya we dream of. It has become our digital village square. It is where ideas are debated, demands are made and visions for the future are shared. It has democratised activism, allowing anyone with a phone to speak truth to power. No expensive TV airtime, no powerful connections. Just a voice, amplified by the people.
The revolution is here. It is digital, it is fierce and it is unstoppable. To every Kenyan who dreams of justice, join the movement—pick up your phone, log on, speak your truth and amplify the fire. Do not wait for others to write the story. Write it yourself, post it yourself and share it yourself. The feeds are alive with courage and the future of Kenya is being shaped one tweet, one TikTok, one hashtag at a time.
