The June 2024 historic protests in Kenya continue to draw glossy affirmations from political observers and the general public, many of whom describe them as the ultimate showcase of political progressivism. Kenyan youth, now famously branded as Gen Z, were the tip of the spear, leading mammoth crowds that penetrated layers of security cordons to emphatically storm Parliament in rage.
Parliament was overrun, vandalized, and looted in the aftermath of apocalyptic-like scenes that saw tens of young people shot dead by security forces. One of the strongest explanations given for the success of the mass action was the iconic “leaderless and tribeless” mantra. For the first time in a long time, a Kenyan regime appeared cornered with little room to maneuver around the crisis.
According to the youth, the regime found itself in a precarious position because it had no identifiable individuals to target or negotiate with. No one knew who was leading the protests, even as the humanitarian crisis worsened by the hour, with massive force exerted by law enforcement.
Perhaps for the first time in modern Kenyan history, citizens were galvanized primarily around economic issues rather than tribe, which had long been the familiar game for the political class.
President William Ruto came out guns blazing on the evening of the fateful June 25, 2024 protests, berating demonstrators as anarchists and treasonous criminals. The President would later be forced to climb down from his pedestal and announce the withdrawal of the punitive Finance Bill 2024 that had already been considered and passed by Parliament.
The withdrawal of the bill was swiftly followed by sweeping changes in government, developments that were received as a major victory for the youth-led protests.
To many observers, Kenya was finally turning the tide against the long-standing ethnic antagonism that has shaped the country’s politics since independence. At the center of this optimism were Gen Z protesters who appeared to demonstrate to the world that they could not easily be compromised by tribal mobilization.
Reality Beyond the Cameras
However, the reality on the ground is that Kenya’s tribal problem is not completely gone.
While there have been visible displays of genuine patriotism since 2024, the country is not out of the woods yet, at least if the manner in which many Gen Zs organize themselves away from television cameras is anything to go by.
Public universities in Kenya are intellectual citadels supposedly tasked with producing bona fide thinkers and agents of change. Universities are also the primary operational grounds of Kenya’s young people in their late teens and early twenties, the same demographic that has earned global recognition for driving transformative politics across the country.
Campus politics, however, remain one of the greatest paradoxes in Kenyan agitation politics today.
Blatant ethnic balkanization, nepotism, and underhand tactics such as voter bribery remain rife in what many describe as murky university elections. Young people participating in campus politics have repeatedly been accused of orchestrating the wanton mutilation of democracy, primitive tribalism, and a dangerous tendency to cling to office, mirroring the very political culture they publicly condemn at the national level.
According to Moses, a Kenyan university student, the adoption of the college system of voting has opened doors for serious ethnic patronage, as well as an unprogressive form of negotiated democracy that systematically excludes minority communities from meaningful participation.
Late-night meetings of young tribesmen on campus grounds, the enlistment of goons and violence in politics, and the bribery of delegates are just a few examples of why campus politics increasingly resembles the ugly political theatre Kenyans are accustomed to witnessing on the national stage.
Inside the University College Voting System
While leaders from different schools and faculties are elected through universal suffrage, the most powerful positions are filled through a confined electoral college process in which a small group of delegates retreat into conclaves to decide top leaders.
This system was first implemented in Kenya in December 2016 following the contentious amendment of the Universities Act 2012.
While ordinary students are reportedly mobilized into electing representatives from particular ethnic groupings, the college level often sees the formation of tribal coalitions where delegates allied to one presidential candidate are instructed to vote for predetermined candidates for vice chairperson, secretary-general, finance secretary, and other influential offices.
Political favoritism, including the allocation of student-owned business spaces inside iconic student centers, is also reportedly part of the wider matrix of negotiations that characterize university politics.
The influence and financial muscle associated with campus leadership have even seen some student politicians allegedly cling to power for years, with political stints extending far beyond the normal period of study. Some university leaders are suspected of strategically failing units or enrolling in multiple courses to prolong their stay and maintain influence within student governments.
A Warning Sign for Kenya’s War Against Tribalism
While some argue that university politics operates under the tentacles of mainstream politicians and powerful external interests, concerns are still rife about the fight against tribalism in Kenya.
The tribal undertones and patronage politics deeply embedded within Kenyan campuses present a serious indictment of a generation that increasingly portrays itself as the face of political transformation.
The passionate pontification by these young people will likely face its greatest test in 2027, as Kenya inches toward what many hope could become the country’s first truly non-tribal election.
The contradiction, however, is glaring.
The very people expected to lead the anti-tribalism charge may themselves still be victims, and in some cases active participants in the vice.
Gen Z continues to make commendable efforts in rallying the country against bad governance, corruption, and economic oppression. However, tribalism remains a clear and obvious threat to their cause, including from within their own ranks.
The biggest challenge for Kenya’s youth movement may therefore not only be confronting the current political order, but first dealing with the tribal instincts that keep surfacing within their circles.
