Podcast episode: Kenya Rose

Listen to Kenya Rose here.

• On 18 June 2024, young people in Kenya were peacefully protesting against the 2024 Finance Bill when police retaliated with tear gas, water cannons, and live ammunition.
• The protests were organized online by young people, which is why they became known as the “Gen Z protests.”
• During these protests, at least 39 people died and many more were injured or arrested.
• Immanuel Muasya reveals why this moment was important to him, not only as a journalist, but also as a young Kenyan.

When young Kenyans started talking online about peaceful demonstrations against the 2024 Finance Bill, journalist Immanuel Muasya was at home with his friends. On X, previously Twitter, he saw the conversation quickly shift from an online protest, under the hashtag #RejectFinanceBill2024, to a march on the streets. Wasting no time, Immanuel headed out to cover the movement that was dubbed the “Gen Z protests.”

“It’s the biggest number of people I’ve ever seen anywhere in the world. The thing that has struck me the most and that was different was the amount of young people on the streets, how peaceful they were and how organized they were.” – Immanuel

The 2024 Finance Bill called for an increase in taxes on subsistence items like cooking oil, bread, and diapers. Thousands of young people voiced their anger at President William Ruto’s government, accusing it of failing to deliver on promises to fight against rising taxes. The peaceful demonstrators demanded the withdrawal of the bill and widespread government reforms.

Radio Workshop is a non-profit that works with youth reporters across Africa, and produced this story in partnership with Immanuel. Radio Workshop provides the tools and teaches the skills to make radio and podcasts. Young people bring their creativity, experience, and passion for tackling the issues that matter to them and their communities. Radio Workshop’s documentary-style podcast has won numerous awards, including Best Standalone Documentary from the International Documentary Association in 2023 and the Podcast and Radio Award at this year’s One World Media Awards.

Radio Workshop’s editorial director Lesedi Mogoatlhe says, “The power of sharing an incredible story is that it can resonate with the whole world and bring us closer to an issue we might have otherwise ignored. Based on what’s happened in Kenya, we see youth ignited to act in Nigeria and challenge their own socio-economic conditions. A Kenyan problem is an African problem, and therefore a world problem. It’s important for all of us to speak up.”

The #RejectFinanceBill2024 protests escalated on June 25th, when demonstrators were met with further police brutality and violence. The Kenyan Human Rights Commission reported that 39 people died and over 300 were injured in the days that followed.

“If you see some of the videos, you can see a whole street of people just chanting ‘we are peaceful.’ But yet they will still be tear-gassed. They’ll still be shot at.” – Immanuel

From the first protest-related death, people started coming to protests with red roses to honor those who died. Roses were handed out to police officers who Immanuel says were confused by the offering of peace in the face of violence. Kenyans stood side-by-side, supporting one another and extending themselves at every turn.

After two weeks of protests, President Ruto addressed the nation to withdraw the Finance Bill. He announced spending cuts and additional borrowing to pay back the national debt that the tax increase was meant to cover. But young Kenyans were hoping for more.

“We don’t trust that this bill has been shut down. We don’t trust anything President Ruto is saying. So actually; no victory.” – Immanuel

President Ruto campaigned as a “President for the Hustlers,” and he won the election with ample support from young people. But since his election in 2022, many say that he has broken the promise he made to be a champion for the poor.

“We started seeing them dress in designer clothes, allocating more offices to their cronies, their wives. The political class keeps getting richer, and then you travel two or three hours out of the city, and you find people who don’t know where the next meal is going to come from.” – Immanuel

Despite the withdrawal of the finance bill, young people have continued to gather in the streets, chanting “Ruto must go.”

Their chants have reverberated across the continent. On X, young people in Ghana, Tanzania, and Nigeria say they feel inspired by Kenya’s Gen Z protests.

“And we’ve seen in other places like Uganda, where there was a finance bill and President Museveni dropped it last week. We see this as a victory.” – Immanuel

In a discussion forum on X, President Ruto thanked young Kenyans for their brutal honesty and apologized for incidents of police brutality. However, the story is evolving every day. Immanuel says there’s still a lot that needs to be done but it helps to know that they are on the journey now.

“It made me feel really proud to be a Kenyan youth. This is a defining moment for my country.” – Immanuel

This episode would not have been possible without the support of Luminate.

Listen to Kenya Rose on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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