Willy Mutunga questions if Kenyan youth are any different from ruling class
By Ascah Mwango, August 6, 2025Former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has challenged the Kenyan youth to reflect on their role in the country’s power structures, asking whether they are truly different from the ruling class they often criticise.
In a statement shared through his X account on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. Mutunga said the ruling class in Kenya has historically found ways to maintain its grip on power by reproducing itself across generations.
He suggested that this cycle continues, with new faces taking up old habits and perpetuating the same systems of privilege, exclusion, and inequality.
“Gen Z and Millennials. Have you taken into account that the ruling class in Kenya continues to reproduce itself, and no generation is devoid of its classes? Are there any class suicides in your generation?” Mutunga stated.
New face of leadership
His remarks come months after he called for the rise of new political leadership in the country.
At the time, Mutunga had urged Kenyans to reject leaders who serve foreign and personal interests, calling instead for a fresh wave of leadership that is grounded in national values and the needs of ordinary citizens.
He made the remarks in a video shared on December 7, 2024, as the organisation marked its 30th anniversary. Mutunga, who is also one of KHRC’s founding members, did not hold back as he criticised both the government and the opposition.
Speaking about Kenya’s political state, he said leaders from both sides have turned into agents of foreign interests.
“We are knee-deep in search of an alternative political leadership that will liberate Kenyans from the rules of compradors in government and in the opposition who have become running dogs of imperialism. The compradors must go. Mapambano ya mapinduzi yaendelee,” he declared.
Mutunga’s concerns come at a time when young Kenyans, especially Generation Z, are becoming more vocal and involved in politics. Over the recent past, they have taken to the streets and social media to demand accountability, transparency, and good governance from those in power.
This new wave of activism has seen Gen Z hold protests, question national budgets, and call out state corruption and police brutality. They have shown that they are not afraid to confront authority and ask hard questions about how public resources are used. From online campaigns to organised marches, they have begun to challenge the status quo in ways that previous generations did not.