Kenya is once again in the midst of mass protests against the government of president William Ruto, with at least 53 people killed, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

There are also 575 injured and over 1,200 arrested.

The dissatisfaction of the protesters, who have blocked key infrastructure in Nairobi, the capital, has pushed the government to withdraw its plan.

However, the severity of the clashes with the police has led protesters to call for the resignation of the entire government, including the president, over police violence and the rising cost of living.

Ruto said he “will now consult widely in order to set up a broad-based government. with different sectors and political formations, both in the public and private sectors, with the aim of establishing a broad-based government”.

The president dismissed all members of his cabinet except his vice president, Rigathi Gachagua, foreign minister Musalia Mudavadi and cabinet secretary Mercy Kiiru Wanjau.

Generation Z protests

The announcement of a new cabinet, however, has not calmed the spirits of the bulk of the protesters, who are calling for the resignation of Ruto, and for continued action with slogans such as #RutoMustGo or #OccupyEverywhere.

Many of them are teenagers and young people from the so-called Generation Z, who have taken a kind of symbolic baton to place themselves at the forefront of the mobilisations.

According to the latest data available from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) in 2019, the average age in urban areas in Kenya is between 20 and 34, and in rural contexts it drops below 15.

“Our resolve is stronger than ever. We demand action and not empty promises. The fight for justice is far from over”, a young lawyer named Kimori who participated in the protests told the Kenyan newspaper The Standard.

The Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK), which represents around 50,000 churches in the country, acknowledges the prominent role of young people in the current mobilisations and “applauds” them for their “discernment” in recognising “that the time has come to do something significant for their country”.

In a pastoral letter, the entity says it “appreciate [the young people's] courage to exercise their constitutional right” and “applaud their resilience and tenacity”, while assuring "empathise” with the families of the protesters killed in recent weeks.

Second mass protests in two years

These are the second violent mass protests in Kenya since Ruto was elected president in 2022.

In September 2023, another wave of demonstrations against the rising cost of living resulted in over 30 deaths and a breach between Ruto's government and the population that has not recovered.

Furthermore, the Kenyan president has also been criticised internationally for his opposition to same-sex marriage, although it was during his term of office that the Supreme Court granted the LGTBIQA+ group official registration as an organisation, which has generated further criticism from some sectors of society.

The Alliance acknowledges the president's efforts “for heeding the call to reject the finance bill”, but urges him to “prioritise the needs of Kenyans”, and condemns what they consider an “use of excessive force by the security agencies on unarmed demonstrators”.

“What we have experienced in the last two weeks is unprecedented, and never before have had we such moments in our budding democracy”, they say.

Call for de-escalation

In its statement to the churches and the rest of the population, the Evangelical Alliance calls for reconciling positions and unity. “There is power in united prayer and in keeping hope alive”, they say.

They remind political representatives that “public participation in legislation must work for Kenyans”, while the young protesters are encouraged to “cease demonstrations and de-escalate the conflict”.

“We caution ourselves and all Kenyans that, notwithstanding our political side, we are exhorted to let our light shine (Matt. 5:14-16). Let us take collective action to heal and seek solutions together, doing so responsibly and mindfully”, stresses the statement.

It asks all involved to “exercise patience with each other and reach out with love as we seek to find solutions to the problems we face”.

“It is time we all genuinely reach out to each other. Our prayer is that God may restore us and the soul of our nation in this difficult time”, they conclude.