Jalang’o Cautions Gen Z against Waiting for 2027, Says Campaigns Are On: “Itakuwa Imeenda”
- Lang'ata MP Jalang'o criticised Gen Z protests, saying leaderless movements cannot influence politics
- He warned that waiting until 2027 to act will be a mistake, as political campaigns are already underway
- The MP urged the youth to form a solid agenda and rally behind leaders if they truly want change
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TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
Lang’ata MP Felix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang’o, has poked holes in the Gen Z-led protest movement.
Source: Facebook
He warned that a lack of leadership and political structure may render their efforts meaningless.
Speaking during a YouTube interview, Jalang’o dismissed the viral narrative that the protests are intentionally leaderless and tribeless, arguing that such an approach cannot succeed in the Kenyan political landscape.
“They have the numbers, that is clear. But now the question is, where will they take those numbers? They must have a leader who is at the front, someone they entrust with those numbers. In politics, you can’t be leaderless. You just can’t be an amorphous group without a clear direction,” he said.
He insisted that any meaningful political movement must sit down and agree on a concrete agenda, as well as identify individuals who will drive it forward on behalf of the group.
“You must sit down and say, ‘this is our agenda’, and then decide who will push it. That person becomes the voice and face of your movement,” he added.
Gen Z warned against waiting for 2027 to act
Jalang’o also dismissed claims by some Gen Z protestors that they are biding their time until the 2027 General Election to support a preferred candidate.
“I hear them say they’re waiting for 2027. That will be too late. Politics have already started. Politicians are on top of cars, campaigning. Empowerment programmes are ongoing in different parts of the country. Meanwhile, Gen Z is still waiting. By 2027, most decisions will have already been made. That’s the sad truth,” he warned.
The ODM lawmaker, who previously worked in entertainment and advertising before joining politics, said he has long interacted with Kenya’s youth and understands their strengths and blind spots.
“They are loud, smart, and want things done. But what they don’t understand is the political game. Everything they’re doing now will not bear any fruit because of their leaderless, partyless, and tribeless approach,” he said.
He noted that in politics, every movement needs someone to take charge and steer the message. However, he criticised the tendency among Gen Z protestors to bring down anyone who attempts to speak or act on their behalf.
“In politics, there must be a leader to rally the crowd. But with Gen Z, once anyone tries to emerge, they get deplatformed. That’s why nothing will move,” he said.
Source: Getty Images
How can Gen Z make real impact?
According to Jalang’o, without clear goals and structure, the current protests risk becoming repetitive cycles of chaos without lasting impact.
“For instance, if they want to remove President William Ruto, they must declare it as their goal. For Ruto to become a one-term president, they must identify leaders, form a political party, mobilise people to join the movement, get them to register as voters, and show up at the ballot. After that, wait for results and form government or at least ensure their voice was heard. Without that, it will just be chaos and destruction of property with nothing to show,” he explained.
He also referenced recent nationwide demonstrations, including the July 7 Saba Saba protests and the June 25 commemoration rallies, where several young people lost their lives.
“To be honest, those protests had no clear agenda or direction. People died, but what did we achieve? 2026 will be the same story. 2027 might even be worse because we’ll be deep in an election period. If they don’t have an agenda or a leader to front it, their only option will be to support Ruto or whichever alternative appears,” he added.
Jalang’o challenged the youth to take charge early and be strategic if they truly want to shape the country's future.
Should Gen Z stop protests?
In a related development, pilot and political commentator Iain Njiraini urged Gen Z to rethink their continued street protests, warning that the demonstrations were beginning to hurt the country’s economy.
He acknowledged that the protests had already made a powerful statement but insisted it was now time to redirect that energy toward more constructive civic action.
Njiraini advised the youth to shift focus toward the 2027 General Election by registering for national IDs and voter cards. According to him, real change would only come through the ballot, not repeated demonstrations.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
