Wajackoyah: Dialogue proposal should come from Gen Zs, not Raila
By Mabonga Makhanu, July 23, 2025Roots Party leader George Wajackoyah has strongly dismissed the recent call for national dialogue made by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, insisting that any such proposal should come directly from Gen Z, the group that has been actively protesting on the streets.
Speaking during a local podcast on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, Wajackoyah maintained that dialogue initiated by political veterans is no longer viable, arguing that the current political climate demands a fresh approach led by the youth.
According to him, Gen Z should be the ones to set the agenda, determine the direction of the conversation, and engage the public without interference or influence from established political figures.
“I don’t agree with Raila’s call for dialogue. I am not going to agree with that because I don’t know what it entails. We have heard a lot of dialogues. Let it be proposed by Gen Zs but not Raila or any other politician. Let it come from them willingly, notoriously, publicly. Let them come with the agenda and tell the nation, ‘This is our agenda. Let us not have one of us say it,” Wajackoya said.
Past dialogues
He further questioned the effectiveness of past dialogues such as the Ndung’u and NADCO reports, which, in his view, yielded little to no results.
He expressed concerns about logistical issues, including funding, time, and the criteria for selecting Gen Z representatives, emphasising that the process must be organic and led by the youth themselves rather than being imposed from above.
Despite describing Raila Odinga as a personal friend, Wajackoyah said he disagreed with his position on this matter.
He stressed that the era of politicians speaking on behalf of the people, especially the younger generation, should come to an end.
“We have many dialogues; the Ndung’u report was not done; the Nadco report wasn’t. If it comes, how long are we going to take? Where are we going to get the budget? The money from? What about the time consumption? Who are those Gen Zs that are going to be involved? Who is going to appoint them? Let it come from them, not Raila. Raila is my personal friend, but on this one I disagree with him,” he added.
Addressing the issue of whether Raila’s political influence is waning due to age, Wajackoyah dismissed the notion entirely.
He stated that age should not be a factor in leadership and used international figures such as Donald Trump as examples to underscore that political relevance is not determined by age.