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A Crossroads for Kenya’s Protest Movement — Time to Rethink the Path

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The events of June 25, 2025, especially the huge destruction of property witnessed in parts of Mt. Kenya, should give every concerned Kenyan pause. Only a year ago, Kenya’s Gen Z had captured the imagination of the country — standing tall for accountability, justice, and leadership renewal. Theirs was a protest movement that inspired hope. But the recent descent into leaderless protests, fueled by political incitement and culminating in economic sabotage, risks undoing all the hard-earned credibility of that movement. We must ask ourselves — what are we fighting for, and who is leading us? When protests lose their theme, they lose their power. Spontaneity without clarity becomes chaos. And chaos only serves the interests of those keen on suppressing voices of change. Worse still, when destructive elements creep in — looting, burning, and violence — the moral high ground shifts away from the people and lands squarely in the hands of a government waiting to justify repression. More wo...
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Demystifying the Cost of Living: Has President Ruto Really Made Life Harder?

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Over the past few years, the phrase “ cost of living has skyrocketed ” has become a rallying cry across Kenya, particularly among the youth and working class. And while the pain at the pump, the checkout counter, and in rent receipts is real, it's important to dig deeper and separate perception from policy. One of the most misunderstood fronts in this debate is the monthly payslip . Many believe that under President William Ruto’s administration, more is being taken from their salary than during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s time. To address this, let’s compare payslips side by side — July 2022 (Uhuru’s era) vs July 2025 (Ruto’s era) . 💸 Side-by-Side Salary Comparison: 2022 vs 2025 Item July 2022 July 2025 Basic Pay 100,000 100,000 NSSF 1,080 4,320 NHIF/SHIF 1,700 (NHIF) 2,750 (SHIF) Housing Levy 0 1,500 Taxable Pay 98,920 91,430 Income Tax 24,459.36 22,212.36 Personal Relief -2,400 -2,400 PAYE (After Relief) 21,804.36 19,812.36 Net Pay 75,415.64 71,617.64 At face value, it see...
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Six Hours to Walk Three Minutes? Why the Opposition Must Rethink the June 25 Procession

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  This week, a letter surfaced from Ndegwa & Ndegwa Advocates notifying the police of the opposition's intention to hold a peaceful procession on June 25, 2025 , to commemorate the fallen Gen Z heroes. According to the letter, the procession will start at 10:00 a.m. from City Hall and end at 4:00 p.m. at Parliament Road —a route that, on foot, takes just under three minutes . At first glance, the purpose appears noble. Honoring those who died during last year's unrest is both necessary and meaningful. But when you examine the timing, the location, and the current security climate , the plan starts to look less like a tribute and more like a potential flashpoint. The proposed six-hour procession raises questions. What exactly is happening between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. along a route that spans a few hundred meters? While we understand the need for symbolic rituals—candle lighting, wreath-laying, silent reflection— these can be respectfully done in one hour , not six. Im...
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Security Over Politics: Why Kenyan 's Must Rethink the June 25 Protests

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As geopolitical tensions between Iran and Western powers reach new heights, Kenya finds itself increasingly exposed—not just diplomatically, but militarily and domestically. Manda Bay , the coastal U.S. military base in Lamu, serves as AFRICOM’s command center for operations across the Great Lakes region , and is now well within the missile range of Iran's growing arsenal. If Tehran chooses to strike outside the Middle East, Kenya, a non-NATO major ally of the United States , may be viewed as a soft target. This possibility is no longer hypothetical. According to a classified intelligence bulletin issued by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) , hostile elements may already be positioning themselves inside the country. The agency has warned that ongoing political protests in Nairobi—especially the June 25 demonstrations led by Gen Z—may be infiltrated by radicalized terrorist groups , including operatives with sympathies to Iran. Their goal? To exploit civil unrest to strike ...
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Dear Gen Z: Rage Without Vision Is a Trap

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” – John F. Kennedy 🥁 One Year Later: The Fire Still Burns June 25th, 2024 was a day etched in pain, blood, and awakening. A year later, a new wave is rising. Gen Z wants to return to the streets—this time headed to State House. The battle cry? “Ruto Must Go.” But before the next march begins, let’s pause. Let’s breathe. Let’s ask: To what end? 🕊️ We Mourn. We Remember. Yes—you were brutalized. You were abducted. You were silenced. You were targeted, arrested, and in some cases—disappeared. You watched friends fall. You carried placards soaked in tears. You said the names of your fallen: Rex. Ashley. Alvin. Kennedy. Kiratu. And yes—Rex The protester, the icon, the brother in a gas mask who walked into fire, who danced at the edge of death to make sure we all felt alive. He is gone now. But if he could speak, I think he’d say: “Don’t waste this pain.” 🧱 But Where Are We Going? Police brutality and ...
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June 25th: A Letter to Gen Z, One Year After the Storm

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“You are either at the table, or on the menu.” – Political saying One year ago, on June 25th, 2024, the walls of Parliament shook—not from bombs or bullets, but from the raw, unfiltered fury of Kenya’s youngest generation. Gen Z didn’t come to negotiate. They came to be heard. And in doing so, they rewrote history. But like every fire, there is always the danger of burning the house down—alongside the rot we intended to clear. This is a moment for reflection, for truth, and for clarity. Before the Flame: The Seeds of Anger To understand what happened last June, we must look further back. Kenya has walked a long road of broken dreams. The last regime—filled with bloated contracts, ghost projects, white elephants, and loud silence—left the country on its knees. So when Dr. William Samoei Ruto stood up in 2022 as the “hustler” against dynasties, it felt like dawn. For many, especially youth and first-time voters, he was hope with a tongue that knew poverty, a voice that mimicked the mtaa....
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Gen Z Protests in Kenya: A Movement at the Crossroads

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Kenya, like most of its neighbours in East Africa, faces significant internal political, social, and economic challenges. Although one of Africa’s largest and fastest-growing economies, a small elite has raked in most of the profits during the boom of the last decade. Meanwhile, global financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund have pushed neoliberal economic policies onto the government, which have seen it slash public spending and raise taxes on everyday goods at a time when the average Kenyan spends over half of their income on food alone.   In the past few weeks, Kenya has witnessed something rare—a national movement led not by political parties or NGOs, but by young people. The Gen Z protests, sparked by the Finance Bill 2024, quickly grew into a countrywide uprising of frustrated, connected, and highly aware youth. I was with them from the start. Like many Kenyans, I saw something hopeful in their boldness. They weren’t just angry—they were clear. The hashtag...
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She Found Me When I Was Broken — Then Left Me When I Was Whole

There’s a kind of pain that doesn’t shout. It doesn’t storm out of your life or shatter windows—it just... lingers. Quietly. Like a cold draft you can’t trace, but that still finds a way into your bones. That’s the kind of pain I was living with when she found me. The Aftermath I was already broken.  A past love had left me hollow, aching in places I didn't know could hurt. Not because it ended in loud fights or dramatic scenes—but because it ended in silence. In slow detachment. In questions left unanswered and pieces left scattered. You don't just “move on” from something like that. You survive it. Day by day. Hour by hour. And in that survival, I turned to words. The blog posts I wrote then weren’t just stories. They were lifelines. Late-night letters to God. Cracked prayers typed with shaking hands. Not to be read, really—but to bleed out what I couldn't say out loud. When She Walked In She didn’t rescue me. That’s too romantic for what actually happened. No—she saw me....
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