Digital Activism and the Youth Bravado (Millennials and Gen Z)

By Yvonne Idamano
A media break is what most of us need after the week that has been. Unprecedented events have
rocked our nation over the past week, leaving most citizens still trying to comprehend them. A
new wave, popularly referred to as the ‘Gen-Z revolution,’ has swept across the country. This
past week witnessed crowds of youth, ranging from millennials to Gen Z, on the streets wanting
their voices heard – a remarkable sight! They came out in droves, chanting, protesting, with one
agenda: rejecting the finance bill 2024, which they termed as punitive.
These were not your typical protesters or protests often marred by violence and day-long running
battles with the police. Instead, they were peaceful and unique. The protesters were leaderless,
fearless, and tribeless – a rare combination in African politics but one that seemed very effective
and worth emulating across the continent. Events leading to the protests revolved around weeks
of digital activism. First, the youths expressed their dissent openly on social media platforms like
X (formerly Twitter), arguing that the finance bill would make life even more difficult and that
they could no longer afford to tighten their belts further. Despite their frantic efforts in
expressing dissent, the government and its allied members of Parliament seemed determined to
pass the bill, claiming it was for the benefit of the common mwananchi.
Seeing that their efforts were proving futile, the youths decided to take a different, more daring
approach: circulating MPs' phone numbers online and asking their constituents to reach out and
convince them to vote ‘NO’ to the bill. They termed it ‘Salimia Yeye.’ For days, MPs
complained about being harassed, threatened, and warned against passing the bill, but the ruling
party's MPs seemed adamant.
At this point, the citizens' patience ran out in the days leading to the vote on the bill in
parliament. They mobilised on social media, particularly X and TikTok, and committed to an
‘Occupy Parliament’ protest on the day of the vote. For the first time, the public mobilised itself
on social media for a nationwide protest. On the day of the protest, youths came out in large
numbers and protested in cities and towns against the finance bill. It made headlines across
media platforms; the youth uprising was seen that day and again on the subsequent Thursday,
another protest day. The protests were peaceful; the protesters were fearless, brave, and knew
exactly what they wanted.
Unfortunately, a protester named Rex was gunned down later that evening during the Thursday
protests. What followed were termed ‘7 Days of Rage,’ leading up to the passing of the bill in
parliament. The '7 Days of Rage' included occupying churches on Sunday and clubs during the
weekend, where chants of rejecting the bill were displayed. Another activity was visiting the
offices of MPs who voted ‘yes’ to the bill and demanding explanations for their decisions. The
final appeal was a peaceful protest to parliament after MPs had vowed to pass the bill. This
culminated in the deaths of several youths who tried to access parliament – tragic scenes. While
some managed to enter parliament, forcing legislators to flee hurriedly in shock, June 25th, 2024,
is a day that will be engraved in most people's memories for years due to the lives lost, the

bravery displayed, and the eventual win. The following day, the president withdrew the
controversial finance bill 2024.
The bravado displayed by Gen Z and millennials is one for the books and was hailed worldwide,
though it did not have to come at the cost of lives. This definitely sent a message that this is a
generation not to be ignored and further highlighted the critical need to involve them in
important decision-making processes in the country.