This week, Seven Days of Rage in protest of the 2024 Financial Bill continue in full force.
Starting Saturday, a good number of bars and clubs halted music and parties at midnight for protest slogans in their stead. Further, Youth outside of the church that the Prez attended in Nyahururu sang “Yote Yawezekana Bila Ruto”. The week is set to be one full of protests, similar to those of the times of Nelson Mandela and Gandhi. Of course, Ubers, iPhones, and KFC joints will be fully embraced, having apparently become a key part of the Gen Z culture in the eyes of some politicians. Justice for Rex Masai, for the Kenyan, and for the country.Viva.
The current Political Situation in Kenya is a volatile one, and not for the usual, or expected reasons. That’s right- it’s not political parties deucing it out, but the people standing up.
This is significant in Kenya since it’s the young population taking matters into their hands, and peacefully protesting. That’s right; citizens who had been thought of as ignorant in matters of politics take a stand against what they believe to be bad governance and misuse of power. This relates to the 2024 Financial Bill, which is set to hike the cost of living beyond what is already considered unsustainable for the people. Many are protesting in digital spaces too, with the use of the #RejectFinancialBill2024 hashtag.
This is further elevated by the misuse of force by police officers, where innocent peaceful protesters have been shot to death, the first known to be Rex Masai, a 24-year-old man who was part of the protests. The death of the young man further riled up the masses since that shows just how uncaring the state is of the plight of man. It has been reported that when the police were asked for aid in the matter, to deliver the now late Rex Masai to a hospital before his condition worsened, one officer said he’d rather let Rex die.
The family of Rex Masai is one of those affected by the unneeded police brutality at this time. Furthermore, last week one of the riot police ended up blowing off his hand nearly clean off with a teargas launcher. This, of course, emphasizes a need for the police force to be well-educated on the use of equipment. However, let’s not forget the underlying cause of all this- the ‘Gen-Z’ standing up against injustice in the form of the 2024 Financial Bill.
The way it seems, with the Bill having passed the Second Hearing, is that the voice of the people doesn’t matter. Yes, they who elected the “Honorables” into parliament, their cries fell on deaf ears, with only some MPs seeming to be against the bill. Of course, the MPs have quite a bit to lose, especially with the International Hackers’ Activist(hacktivist) group “Anonymous”, with some Kenya-based members, vowing to release dirt on the MPs who vote for the Bill should it pass. However, it seems, that poison upriver does not deter the cow from drinking.
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