The Gen Z factor in the Nairobi Uprising a Year Ago: Outlier or Warning Signal?
A year ago, between the 18th to 25th June 2024, the streets of Nairobi became a theatre of civil resistance, illuminated not by torches but by hashtags and viral live streams. At the forefront of this movement were members of Generation Z—young Kenyans aged between 18 and 27—mobilising with remarkable speed, coherence, and resolve. Once caricatured as screen-obsessed and disengaged, these youth shattered expectations. The world watched, stunned, and asked: Is this the new face of Gen Z in Africa? Or was Kenya’s uprising merely a blip?
To unpack the significance of that moment, we must first understand the generation at its core. Globally, Generation Z—those born between 1997 and 2012—comprises approximately 2 billion individuals, nearly 30% of the world’s population. In Africa, they number around 400 million, forming the heart of the continent’s youth bulge. As digital natives raised during the rise of smartphones, social media, and the gig economy, the Gen Zers are already reshaping culture, activism, and entrepreneurship in significant ways.
Yet, beneath this promise lies a web of contradictions. Gen Z is often described as a generation marked by anxiety. Social media, while an empowering tool, has transformed into a psychological battlefield. Studies consistently reveal elevated levels of depression, identity exploration, and social alienation among Gen Z compared to previous generations. They consume alcohol less, marry later—or not at all—and are less inclined to form traditional communities. Climate uncertainty, economic precarity, and shifting career expectations only intensify these tensions.
And yet, it may be this very fragility that becomes Gen Z’s strength. According to The Economist, in advanced economies, Gen Zers are the most educated and among the most employable, thanks to the demand for digital fluency. In the United States alone, over 6,000 Gen Zers serve as CEOs, and nearly 1,000 occupy political offices—underscoring their growing institutional footprint. The trajectory is clear: in the coming decade, Gen Z may well dominate political and corporate life across much of the developed world.
But what about Africa’s Gen Zers? Are they selecting the right avenues to influence policymaking and governance? There is much to unpack. The Nairobi protests provided a revealing lens. They did not emerge in isolation; they were triggered by mounting economic pressure, political disillusionment, and a generation unwilling to continue observing institutions fail from the sidelines. What was most striking was their ideological clarity—rooted in non-partisan values. These protests were not hijacked by party machinery. Instead, Gen Zers redefined political resistance—leaderless, yet not rudderless.
That’s what makes Kenya’s moment so significant. It wasn’t merely reactive; it was performative, generational, and undeniably global in its ethos. While each African country presents a distinct socio-political fabric, the underlying ingredients—youth bulge, digital literacy, economic disenchantment, and a hunger for dignity—are universal. The question is no longer if Gen Zers will act, but when and how. Kenya may not be an outlier at all; it may be the opening chapter in a broader generational arc.
As Africa grapples with ageing leadership and fraying social contracts, Gen Zers are no longer merely asking for change—they are actively scripting it. Often misunderstood, occasionally underestimated, but never irrelevant, Gen Zers could be the first generation to merge hyper-individualism with coordinated civic resistance in unprecedented ways. To ignore them is to risk being blindsided once more. To engage them is to prepare wisely for the future. May the souls of those lost in the protest rest in peace for eternity!
