The Gen Z battle has slowly abated and moved off the streets to online platforms. On June 25, 2024, Kenya youth stormed to the streets in a massive show of numbers opposing Finance Bill, 2024, which the National Assembly had just passed that morning, and awaited the assent of the president. Surrounding Parliament, they engaged in running battles with the security personnel before storming into the parliamentary precincts and wreaking havoc, stealing the mace, and taking selfies. Subsequent protests have not been as successful, and attempts to mobilise the crowds seen that day have not succeeded due to the formation of the broad-based government. 

After government activists and critics on social media started being abducted by unknown people and held for days to weeks, the tempo has also slowed. Some of the abductees returned alive, while others were found dead. Videos of the abductions have been circulating on social media. The result has been public ire to the extent that in various towns, police have been obstructed whenever they seek to arrest criminals. 

A sign that the scene of battle has changed is the muted numbers that showed up to protest the abduction of X user Gideon Kibet (Kibet Bull), his brother and others. Kibet had been circulating silhouette cartoons of the president that have become popular amongst X users. The other abductees were held for circulating AI-generated images depicting the president and other key political figures, including foreign leaders such as President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and President Samia Suluhu of Tanzania, in a coffin.

In addition to the abduction of Kenyan citizens, prominent foreign anti-government activists residing in Kenya have also been targeted, kidnapped, and forcibly returned to their countries of origin. A notable example is the case of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who was abducted and is now imprisoned in Uganda. Another attempt to abduct Tanzanian activist, Maria Sarungi, however, failed, and she was released after intervention from the diplomats who expressed their worry for her safety and the upholding of the rule of law in the country. It has been speculated that the United States President got involved in securing her release. Abductors are known to use Subaru vehicles with false number plates to kidnap their victims. 

Government Agencies such as the Police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have all denied abducting people. However, this week, an explosive statement by Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi, who was formerly the Attorney General and Speaker of the National Assembly, whose son, Leslie, was abducted at the height of the Gen Z street demonstrations last year, laid the blame of the kidnapping on the Director General of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Noordin Haji. 

In response to these developments, Kenyans online have changed tactics. Projectiles need not be stones and tear gas canisters as words, sometimes, can inflict the most harm. Going down memory lane, Kenyans began posting stories of their experience with the 2007-2008 Post Election Violence, which involved President Ruto then in a court case at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Images of President William Ruto at the ICC emerged, followed by calls to report abductions and other human rights issues to the court. Then, through email, they asked government departments to cancel a visit to Kenya by the Royal Dutch couple, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, planned for March this year. 

But the government is not backing down and is undeterred. Felix Kibet has taken X to court accusing the platform of permitting the publication of false news and pornography. With claims that X allows impersonation (especially of government leaders) and disrespect of leaders, many X users speculate that Kibet is a front for the government seeking to curtail freedom of speech on the platform.  The case is set for a hearing on January 17, 2025. 

The situation shows Kenyans’ disgruntlement with the current government and the economic and political situation in the country. The determination appears to be such that not even banning X in Kenya – as could happen with Kibet’s court case – will deter Kenyans from airing their grievances. They will just change the platform and tactics. The government’s response will significantly shape the movement’s trajectory. Continued repression may deepen resentment, while genuine dialogue and reforms could ease tensions. For now, the Gen Z struggle stands as a testament to the power of youth activism and the evolving nature of resistance in the digital age.