Muturi urges Gen Z to fill leadership gap, says Kenya is ripe for change
Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has challenged youth to step up and seek leadership positions, expressing confidence that the country is ready for fresh voices and perspectives in governance.
In a candid interview with a local media station on May 17, 2025, Muturi expressed puzzlement over why young Kenyans, particularly Gen Z, are hesitant to pursue political leadership despite what he sees as a changing political landscape.
“I don’t understand why they don’t come out to seek leadership positions,” Muturi said when asked about what he finds most perplexing about Gen Z.
When pressed on whether young people stand a chance in Kenyan politics, he responded optimistically: “Yeah, they do. I think Kenyans are really changing and willing to listen to alternative voices.”
Youth-led protests
His remarks echoed sentiments he had made just days earlier, on May 15, 2025, during an interview with the same local media outlet, where he reflected on the frustrations that have driven Gen Z-led protests in the past few months, particularly the June 2024 protests that saw demonstrators briefly occupy Parliament buildings.
“Maybe Gen Z actually had a point when they decided to overrun parliament. That was actually exercising the sovereign power under Article One,” Muturi stated.
“Maybe they had a point, but I think those of us in leadership never appear to have actually interrogated what the genesis was,” he added.
He criticised the current leadership—across the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary—for failing to introspect or take accountability for the excesses that have disillusioned the youth.
“They’re just tired of the excesses within leadership… just tired of us,” he said, acknowledging the widespread discontent.
“Today you are saying this, the next day you’re doing the opposite. You swear to uphold the Constitution, but once in office, it’s just self-enrichment,” he lamented.
Call for accountability
According to Muturi, Parliament should legitimately invoke Article 145 of the Constitution to initiate impeachment proceedings against President William Ruto, citing recent abductions of citizens.
“If we operationalised institutions today, there’s no reason why Parliament should not exercise their power and act. Article 145 allows impeachment if the President violates the Constitution. He has admitted people were abducted,” Muturi argued.
The former National Assembly Speaker questioned who was behind the abductions and how the victims found their way back to their families.
“Mr. President, you seem to know that. So, who took them to their families? Who abducted them?” he asked, responding to Ruto’s recent remarks that those who had been abducted had been reunited with their families.
