Rashda Zunde
JF-Expert Member
- May 28, 2022
- 291
- 281
Kenya is increasingly becoming unsafe for its youth and general population due to a worrying surge in state violence, police brutality, and crackdowns on protests. Recent events, including the fatal shooting of an unarmed mask vendor during a demonstration and the mysterious death of blogger and activist Alfred Ojwang in police custody, have painted a grim picture of civic space and public safety.
Young people, who make up a majority of the population, are particularly vulnerable. Many have taken to the streets to demand accountability, jobs, and better governance—but instead of protection, they are met with teargas, live bullets, and arrests. These violent responses to peaceful protests undermine basic rights and foster fear, silencing the very generation expected to lead the nation forward.
The continued pattern of killing protesters and failing to hold perpetrators accountable has created a climate where safety is not guaranteed, especially for the outspoken, the poor, and the young. As the government intensifies its crackdown on dissent, the sense of insecurity among ordinary Kenyans is deepening.
In contrast, Tanzania under President Samia Suluhu Hassan has taken significant steps to invest in its youth through programs focused on education, digital inclusion, and entrepreneurship—proving that with political will, the future of a country’s young generation can be protected and empowered, not persecuted.
Young people, who make up a majority of the population, are particularly vulnerable. Many have taken to the streets to demand accountability, jobs, and better governance—but instead of protection, they are met with teargas, live bullets, and arrests. These violent responses to peaceful protests undermine basic rights and foster fear, silencing the very generation expected to lead the nation forward.
The continued pattern of killing protesters and failing to hold perpetrators accountable has created a climate where safety is not guaranteed, especially for the outspoken, the poor, and the young. As the government intensifies its crackdown on dissent, the sense of insecurity among ordinary Kenyans is deepening.
In contrast, Tanzania under President Samia Suluhu Hassan has taken significant steps to invest in its youth through programs focused on education, digital inclusion, and entrepreneurship—proving that with political will, the future of a country’s young generation can be protected and empowered, not persecuted.
