Suba Churchill warns Gen Zs against marching to State House
By Arnold Ngure, July 7, 2025Rights advocacy expert Suba Churchill has warned the Gen Z protesters against marching to the State House during their protests.
Speaking during a live TV debate on Sunday, July 6, 2025, the coordinator of the National Civil Society Congress observed that the youthful protesters may have to think hard and long before embarking on a mission of occupying the presidential residence.
“Gen Zs may be tempted to try to take their message to the president at the State House, which is a protected area, and as protesters, you should weigh your options and really discuss thoroughly whether you want to reach the State House because at that place, they are allowed to terminate life,” he stated.
“The president is a property of the people, who have given certain instruments of coercion to ensure that he is safe. Like him or not, his sudden demise can lead to so many things.”
Designated protest zones
The analyst equally challenged a sponsored bill by Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris, which proposes the designation of protest areas in the country.
“To Honourable Esther Passaris, protesters have a right to choose the location of their protest, and that is the 17th principle in the international principles to protest, which is recognised world over, and our government has an obligation to respect,” Churchill stated.
“If the head of state feels insecure that people will invade his space, he can receive a petition from Gen Zs at Harambee House.”
Restive youth
The remarks come amid an increasingly restive youth, who have taken to the streets at the slightest provocation from the government.
The demonstrations, which began in 2024 as calls to pressure the National Assembly from passing a set of punitive tax proposals, morphed into an all-out, sustained campaign against the governance of the current administration.
Politicians have decried the trajectory taken by the protests, observing that what began as a legitimate demonstration has been hijacked by a group of opposition politicians to wreak havoc in the country.
On June 25, 2025, the demos took an unprecedented turn, resulting in the burning of police stations, looting of shops and vandalism of some government offices.