At the end of November 2019, in my country, Colombia, an unprecedented social uprising was taking place, primarily driven by young people who raised their voices against the government of Iván Duque. The protests began to express discontent with the tax reform and were fueled by police repression and multiple violations of the protesters' rights.
These were days of chaos. Internet outages became the government's tools to destabilize the protests that were being organized on social media. Major cities were left without transportation, businesses were on fire, there were injuries, dozens of young people lost their eyesight due to rubber bullets, military tanks were deployed in neighborhoods, tear gas was used against children, urban areas were militarized, and dead, dozens of dead. This and more my country endured for about 3 months.
This situation shook the entire nation. It also caused a complete turnaround. Thanks to international pressure and human rights organizations, we managed to withdraw the reform. But we realized that this had only been a distraction from what was brewing beneath the country's social fabric. Thus, the youth took on the burden of initiating change, and driven by the protests, we reached significant agreements that culminated three years later with a historic vote in the country's presidential elections.
But you might wonder why I am talking about Colombia in a blog dedicated to experiences in Kenya. And it is that, although we are separated by over 11 thousand kilometers across the Atlantic, our social and political struggles have mirrored each other in recent months (likely due to similarly deep-rooted causes).
Since June, Kenya has been experiencing a social movement led by Generation Z. Just like in Colombia, the youth have decided to raise their voices against the oppressive systems they grew up with, but now have the opportunity to change. In this case, against their president, William Ruto.
Similar to my country, Kenyans also rose up against a financial bill that generated outrage. Ruto's proposal meant high taxes for those who have the least, while a few continued to siphon off the country's resources. Both nations have long been subjected to a form of oligarchies, monopolies, and social inequities that have perpetuated the colonial system even now that they are free nations.
The outrage over the rampant social injustices defended by both, Duque and Ruto, with their financial proposals created the perfect breeding ground to intensify the search for justice and equity. And who better to carry the banner of change than those with the most pressing financial needs: the youth. Generation Z, the one with the smallest wealth in history and the greatest economic difficulties facing the construction of their future.
With this backdrop, Kenyan youth took to the streets and, like in my country, faced repression, crime, and violations of their rights. Network connectivity issues hampered the organization of their meeting points, police brutality, army forces deployed in cities, and dozens of fatalities.
Human rights organizations report over 34 abductions and tortures of protesters against Ruto's government, while families count many more missing persons.
International pressure has also led Ruto to remove his financial bill and make changes to calm the protests. However, Kenyans are not satisfied. Again, like in my country, the financial reform served as a pretext to ignite an uprising over the country's historical debt in terms of corruption, lack of opportunities, and social injustice.
Recently, the protests have subsided, and Ruto's actions, in one way or another, have managed to ease the fire of indignation. Nevertheless, my outlook is positive, and I anticipate that the impact of this social uprising will bear fruit in more concrete and democratic actions in the future, rather than a continued drain at this point.
I deeply understand and empathize with the national pain, and I am proud to see Kenyan youth fighting for their people. Inevitably, every struggle brings pain that leaves a mark on us; however, they do well if they bear these marks and remember them in honor of those who are no longer here and for whom they now need to bring about real change. I trust that, just like in my country, after 3 years of the uprising (with continued pressure during that period), Kenya will be able to have a president truly elected by its people.
Valery J Serrano U
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