President William Ruto is no longer losing sleep over 2027—and the numbers back his confidence.
The once-feared Gen Z movement that sparked nationwide protests in 2024 and vowed to remove Ruto at the ballot has found itself under public ridicule. The same young Kenyans who mobilized in the streets under hashtags and placards now appear missing in action where it counts most—the voter roll.
Lang’ata MP Phelix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang’o, is among the first leaders to openly call them out. Speaking at a recent forum, he dismissed the Gen Z-led political movement as all talk and no ballot.
“You can’t keep being leaderless, party-less, and vote-less, then expect to remove a sitting president,” Jalang’o said, urging young people to stop the rhetoric and start registering if they’re serious about change.
Ruto himself hasn’t held back either. In remarks aimed directly at his Gen Z critics, the president questioned their readiness to lead or influence governance.
“Criticizing the government from the streets won’t build a nation,” Ruto said, challenging the opposition-led youth movement to offer structured alternatives instead of slogans.
While the movement once declared that it would kick Ruto out at the ballot in 2027, that promise is starting to look hollow. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which launched its continuous voter registration drive on September 29, has reported dismal turnout—especially among the youth.
In the first four days of the drive, only 7,048 new voters had registered. The IEBC’s target? 6.3 million, with the majority expected to come from first-time youth voters.
The breakdown is stark: Nairobi recorded 1,597 new registrations. Lamu County had one. Nyamira tallied just 10. While the IEBC remains hopeful that intensified civic education will boost the numbers, officials admit the momentum is not where it should be.
The situation is so serious that public figures are now pleading with Gen Z to register—through billboards, TikTok videos, and community rallies. Influencers, musicians, and civil society groups have joined the push, warning that failure to act now means handing Ruto a free pass in 2027.
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