Kaluma claims Gen Z movement died after withdrawal of Finance Bill 2024
Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament (MP) George Kaluma has asserted that the Gen Z-led protest movement effectively ended with the withdrawal of the Finance Bill in June 2024.
In a strongly worded statement shared on his official X account on Thursday, July 24, 2025, Kaluma accused opportunistic criminals of hijacking the movement and using it as a cover for violent and destructive acts in Nairobi and beyond.
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The vocal MP has emphasised the need for law enforcement to respond firmly, asserting that the genuine spirit of the Gen Z movement has been lost and that law enforcement must treat current unrest as organised criminality, not legitimate dissent.
“The Gen Z movement died following the withdrawal of the Finance Bill, 2024! We now have a gang targeting Nairobi with riots disguised as Gen Z. Let the Police deal with them firmly in accordance with the law,” Kaluma said.
Kaluma vs Gen Z
This is not the first time Kaluma has claimed that the Gen Z movement has ended and that criminals are now using it as a cover for unlawful activities.
On July 14, 2025, Kaluma stated that the original Gen Z movement, a powerful wave of youth-led protests, was “conceived by civil society, implemented by the People, and encouraged by religious leaders and the media.”
However, he argued that the true Gen Z protests ended before 25 June 2024.
“Now we have hardcore criminals roaming the streets and sanitising their subversive activities against the State by calling themselves ‘Gen Z’,” Kaluma wrote.
He called for children to be protected from the growing unrest, warning that young people were being used as shields by individuals engaging in vandalism, looting, and attacks on police officers. He praised several regions, including Nyanza, Rift Valley, and Coast, for keeping children off the streets, and urged the Mt. Kenya region to follow suit.
“It is our sacred duty to protect our children from harm,” he added. “Don’t play regional politics with the children!”
Kaluma’s remarks come after weeks of unrest across Kenya, led largely by young protesters demanding better governance, accountability, and an end to police brutality. Demonstrations intensified during the 35th anniversary of the historic Saba Saba protests on July 7, with at least 11 people reported dead and hundreds arrested.
