Fears have been instilled in one James Oyanji about joining the ongoing protests, but the 27-year-old is not likely to accept it anytime soon.
“People ask me, ‘What are you going to do there?’ and I say, ‘Why shouldn’t you go?’ They try to scare me, but at the end of the day, if it’s your day to meet your ancestors, you have no choice but to go,” he said.
James was on the streets of Nairobi on June 25 when parliament faced the wrath of protesters, his second time protesting.
He was not far from the Capitol when the mob stormed in, not far from the young man who was shot nearby, a rubber bullet that hit him so hard that his right wrist was scarred and swollen for days.
Another memory from that day is his raincoat with two holes in it. He says the holes were caused by a tear gas canister being fired directly at him. Luckily, the bullet hit him in the back, as he had a bag on his back to absorb the impact. After finishing his day at his internship office in Nairobi’s Upper Hill, he got changed, put his “office” clothes in his bag and put on his raincoat over his “protest” clothes and headed out into the city.
He has taken part in several street protests before and is prepared to join again on Tuesday or any other day, but he prays for peace to continue.
James, who has a degree in international relations and lost her job last year because of what she believes to have been victimised, is championing the spirit of her generation as she calls for better conditions for herself and her content moderation colleagues after watching disturbing videos targeted for removal by a major social media platform.
“The fear is gone” is a phrase he uses at least twice during our hour-long conversation.
Yesterday marked one month since the first protester was killed on the streets of Nairobi, and Thursday marks one month since the eventful day when protesters “occupied” Parliament.
As further developments continue, history will be written. There is already a Wikipedia entry titled “Kenya Parliament Attack 2024”, which has been edited since its creation on June 28th and was last updated on July 18th.
New Celebrities
The last month has seen the birth of new celebrities, new public enemies, new slang expressions (and dance styles to boot) and even new martyrs, depending on which side of the JoGoo House you’re on.
Since the protests began on June 18, the past month has been one focused on Generation Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012. It is an open secret that this group, which accounts for at least 18.4 million Kenyans (39 percent of the population) according to the last census, is leading the protests.
James was born in March 1997. He places himself in the “firstborn” group of Generation Z.
“We are the first born so I have to represent them and also represent those who come after us so that’s why I had to be there,” he told the Sunday Nation on Friday.
And yes, James was a classmate of one of the famous people to have emerged from the protests, Kasmuel Makoah. They attended Malanda High School together.
“He was a friend of mine from high school. You see that eloquence? That’s Casmuel’s character. I remember when he came to Malanda from Alliance. I was one of the guys leading the music team and Casmuel revolutionised us. He could play the keyboard, he could play the saxophone, the trumpet and the violin. His knowledge enhanced us. He revived the debate club, he revived drama,” James says.
A clarion call
He is an ideologist who calls for the president to step down.
“We’re fighting for a complete overhaul of every system, which is why you hear, ‘Root has to go,’ and yes, eventually the individual has to go, but it’s also a wake-up call to the systems that are there that have to change. Now it’s about accountability and capacity. We don’t want a narrative of this or that,” James says.
He also appears unamused by the fact that Azimio leader Raila Odinga appears to be increasingly aligned with President William Ruto on the protests, saying Odinga and his ilk are “riding our wave”.
He supports the side that does not want any meeting with Dr Ruto because protesters have been killed.
“To me, this is about more than rejecting the Finance Bill. If that had been achieved without anyone being killed, I would have concluded that Dr Ruto knows ‘Tuko Kadi’. But people have started being killed and are still being abducted. So, why stop now? So, if there are any more protests I will be there 100%,” James points out.
His views are representative of many of his generation, but Gen Z is divided on whether it’s time to stop and wait to see what happens. Some religious and other leaders have urged protesters to back down, but people like James won’t listen.
“We will never go down the same path as Sudan,” he said, adding that the constitution clearly stipulates what should happen if a president leaves office.
James, who received his primary education in Kericho, secondary in Siaya and tertiary education at the American International University Africa, is just one thread in the powerful rope of a movement that is still twisting and turning.
