Busia County Senator, who also doubles up as a human rights activist, Okiya Omtatah, has likened the ongoing GenZ uproar in demanding good governance to the prison break.
Speaking during a live interview on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at a local radio station, Omtatah said that every five years, Kenyans are given a chance to elect their leaders; however, none of the elected leaders have been able to address the challenges faced by the citizenry.
In addition, the senator said that the lack of change in governance has contributed to the current uproar witnessed in the country.
“When I look at this country, it looks like one big prison whereby periodically, after every five years, the prisoners are given a chance to choose who among the warden becomes the chief warden, so when you look at all the manifestos that come out, they are manifestos that try to improve life within the prison, allow you more time in the sunshine, but none of the manifestos indicates that we are going to break the prison.
“What you see happening with Gen Z is a jailbreak. People want to break down these prisons, and you can see the wardens say, ‘Okay, forget about who the chief warden is’. Let us regroup and make sure the prison remains intact so that is the exchange of fight that is going on,” Omtatah said.
Omtatah on tribal politics
Adding his voice to the debate of tribal politics, Omtatah disclosed that the current generation does not want to be associated with any tribe.
He further urged the veteran politicians to allow the upcoming crop of leaders to lead the nation.
“Young people are coming out and are not associated with any tribe because they find the idea of being contained within a tribe is suffocating, and the tribe can no longer deliver for them. The nation and maybe the continent are what they need, so these people cannot be contained in those containers of the past, so the cannons of the past have to fall silent and allow the emerging cannons to take over,” he added.
What you see happening with the Gen Z is a jailbreak, people want to breakdown these prisons #TheSituationRoom
— Okiya Omtatah Okoiti (@OkiyaOmtatah) January 7, 2025
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