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The Conversation
The Conversation
XN Iraki, Professor, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, University of Nairobi

Did Kenya’s Gen Z protests achieve anything? An economist weighs up what’s changed and what’s stayed the same

Kenyans protest a state attempt to increase taxes in June 2024. Unsplash, CC BY

Kenya’s Gen Z-led protests of 2024 drew global headlines. For weeks, young people mobilised against proposed tax increases, the rising cost of living, unemployment, corruption and what they saw as an unresponsive political class. But what began as opposition to the 2024 Finance Bill quickly evolved into a broader challenge to the way the country was being governed.

The protests were remarkable for their scale, decentralised nature and ability to mobilise through social media. They were eventually subdued through political concessions and state repression. At least 63 people were killed.

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