Have we moved on too fast? Lessons Kenya risks forgetting before 2027
Opinion
By
Mike Nyagwoka
| Nov 02, 2025
Moving on from a setback or situation swiftly can be a personal strength, but in nation-building, it can also be a weakness. As a nation just two years from a General Election, we must bring historical facts that have been swept under the carpet back to the fore. These facts must inform our actions, lest we lose our nation completely in 2027. If we fail to learn from the Gen-Z-led demonstrations—the chaos, the violence, and the accompanying tragic deaths and injuries—then we have already chosen to sink the nation we cherish.
The chaotic scenes being witnessed in Tanzania are symptomatic of a region that is not at ease. There is growing cross-border empathy for the unique challenges each East African nation faces. In Uganda, the victimisation of opposition leader Kizza Besigye attracted lawyers and activists from as far as Kenya, led by PLP leader Martha Karua.
At the time of writing this, the whereabouts of activists Bob Njagi and Silas Oyoo remain unknown after they decided to join the opposition campaigns led by Robert Kyagulanyi of the National Unity Platform. Kenyans have been equally concerned about the affairs in Tanzania even before its elections, particularly the intimidation of Chadema leader Tundu Lissu and his opposition compatriots. Even in the current mess, Kenyans continue to show solidarity with their neighbours.
All this signifies a growing consciousness among the people and their readiness to consolidate against dictatorial tendencies inconsistent with the democratic ideals advanced by their respective constitutions.
However, the situation in Kenya is unique. The enactment of a new constitution in 2010 created greater expectations. The people believed they had finally overcome the legacy of a colonial constitution that allowed for excesses by state officers. The new constitution created many independent offices intended to derive their power directly from the constitution and the people. Yet, 14 years later, the feeling is the people are on their own.
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What, then, is my worry?
My worry is that we have a high chance of getting to 2027 without addressing what pushed the youth to the streets in 2024 or dealing with the aftermath. Before they took to the streets, the digital spaces were filled with warnings to the government that they were not impressed with the rising cost of living. Just after President Ruto’s ascendancy to power, the cost of electricity was pushed up, and the cost of fuel has stubbornly refused to drop below the 150-shilling-per-liter mark.
Then came the new deductions for affordable housing, SHA, and NSSF. Beyond that, they also spoke plainly against the open display of opulence by state officers.
It is highly likely the government assumes these issues have been forgotten that Kenyans have “moved on” and, consequently, that the government can move on too.
The administration has even moved on from its own pronouncements, such as the supposed ban on state officers participating in fundraising. This nonchalance compounds the pain from the violent crackdown on young demonstrators. Many lost their lives, while others were left maimed. That kind of pain does not just go away, particularly in an environment of perceived indifference.