Demonstrators march along Kenyatta Avenue Nairobi on June 23, 2024, during protests against Finance Bill 2024.
The youth in the country have revived a new generational movement that mirrors the events on July 7, 1990, to tackle present-day struggles, continuing the legacy of activism and pursuit of democratic rights.
Popularly known as Saba Saba (to mean the seventh day of the seventh month), Kenya’s youth plan to hold gatherings today reminiscent of the day in 1990 when opposition luminaries together with Young Turks called for a historic rally at Kamukunji Grounds in the “Second Liberation” struggle.
In July 1990, anxiety gripped Kenyans ahead of a highly consequential public rally that was planned by the pro-democracy movement in Nairobi to agitate for an end to Kanu’s one-party rule.
Tension rose a notch higher when, days to the rally, State agents arrested and detained politicians Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia and Raila Odinga, the most prominent figures in the movement, for alleged sedition.
On D-Day, a group of activists defied a security crackdown, and this saw a number of human rights lawyers also arrested or detained.
Iconic status
Nonetheless, the events of Saba Saba significantly ramped up the pressure on then authoritarian president Daniel arap Moi to allow the re-introduction of multi-party democracy in 1991.
It also gained an iconic status in Kenya for citizen defiance against State repression.
Mr Odinga, now the leader of Kenya’s main opposition coalition — Azimio la Umoja One Kenya — has sought to keep the spirit of Saba Saba. Last year, he convened yet another rally at the Kamukunji Grounds to continue advancing the message of good governance. He dubbed it the “Third Liberation” struggle as he sought economic emancipation for Kenyans.
But this year’s Saba Saba could be different, coming against the backdrop of pressure that had been piled by the youth that forced President William Ruto to drop the contentious Finance Bill, 2024.
On Thursday, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja announced that his administration had permitted a planned concert by the youth to happen today at Uhuru Park.
“The youth must express themselves,” he said.
Activist Boniface Mwangi, who is part of the team organising the event, said it will be a memorial concert “to remember those people who have been murdered by the State during the peaceful protests”.
“We are going to come here, have a memorial concert to reflect what has happened in the last three weeks,” said Mr Mwangi in an interview with a local TV station.
He added that various artistes will perform at the concert, among them Eric Wainaina, Juliani, Muthoni Ndonga, Sarabi Band, Gravitti Band, and Javan the Poet.
“It will be a family day of reflection. It also happens to be Saba Saba Day; so it’s a very important day in the history of this country because Saba Saba is what led to the repealing of Section 2A and the (re)introduced multi-party democracy in this country,” noted Mr Mwangi.
There will be special prayers for victims of anti-government protests in some Central Kenya churches today.
Bishop Timothy Gichere, the Central region chairman of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), last week encouraged worshippers to attend today’s prayer services in member churches.
Besides Mr Matiba, Mr Rubia and Mr Odinga, other notable figures in the Saba Saba struggle were James Orengo, Gitobu Imanyara, Kiraitu Murungi, Paul Muite, Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Koigi Wamwere, Njeru Kathangu, Gibson Kamau Kuria, Timothy Njoya and Wafula Buke, among others.
The struggle also involved the Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (Fida) that included Martha Koome, now the Chief Justice, Martha Karua, Abida Ali Aroni and Nancy Baraza.
Major challenges
Mr Orengo lamented that despite Kenya having a “very transformative and empowering Constitution, things have not changed much under this government”.
“This Constitution is being implemented by people who are not reformers; people who didn’t believe in the change in the beginning. And this is one of the major challenges we are still facing as a nation,” the Siaya governor told the Sunday Nation.
He recalled that unlike during their time in the 1990s when leaders had to personally appear for the protests to help in the mobilisation, presently, the youth are well-equipped and are able to pull people from everywhere without apparent leadership.
He said that things are yet to change on the handling of the public, adding that just as during the Moi era leaders were arrested and even detained without trial — the recent abduction of perceived influencers of the youth protests is a replica of the autocratic regimes.
“This is just like the Moi State when people used to be arrested and abducted and taken to Nyayo House where they were tortured,” he said. “When we went to the famous Kamukunji, we had to sleep elsewhere and not in our houses because of the abductions. What I can say is that we still have a rogue State, a bandit State.”
International community
Mr Orengo suggested that the international community should come out and talk to President Ruto “now that they’ve embraced him” to ensure Kenya remains on the path of the rule of law.
Mr Murungi, on the other hand, said while there are similarities between the Saba Saba drive and the youths’ quest for accountability, this year’s push is more advanced.
“It is a more complicated and sophisticated struggle, both in its content and style. The Internet has made it a formidable movement with a very deep social impact. It has achieved significant success in a very short time,” said Mr Murungi. “Kenyans should celebrate the Gen Zs as heroes who even liberated the church from capture by politicians through harambees and returned it to God.”
He went on: “Saba Saba was a political protest against tyranny and dictatorship of Kanu’s one-party regime. The Gen Z is an economic liberation of the country from kleptocracy, political backwardness, unemployment, youth poverty, and hopelessness in the multi-party era.”
Rev Njoya said he was glad that the youth in the country had also managed to successfully push the government to heed to Kenyans’ demands.
“This is a very positive move in our country and the President must now take necessary measures to ensure the demands by Kenyans are met,” the NCCK patron told the Sunday Nation.
Mr Buke lauded the Kenyan youth for what he referred to as having succeeded where they failed in the 90s.
“As Gen Z was invading Parliament the other day, the eyes of my mind were watching a similar drama in my generation’s own attempt to invade Parliament in the 90s budget day,” he recalled. “Bishop Ndingi Mwana ’a Nzeki was to lead us from Holy Family Basilica. After consultations with a section of the leadership where we were represented by Otieno Ombok, Ndingi addressed the gathered multitude where he called off the march on Parliament, citing schemes by the system to cause mayhem.”
He recalled how, together with former Mukurweini MP Kabando wa Kabando, they lifted Rev Timothy Njoya shoulder-high, amid his protests, to show the crowd that they still had a leader.
New leader
“Inspired by this new leader, the march began. Little did we know that Kabando and I had actually set up the Rev Njoya for an attempted assassination,” said Mr Buke.
Mr Buke argued that just as the police were brutal to them, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki is no different.
Mr Wamwere said that the recent happenings in Kenya are history repeating itself.
“Those who ignore the cry of the people always fail, whoever they are. Currently, in Kenya, history is repeating itself with possible consequences of tragedy and failure. As the tyranny of one-party State failed for ignoring the cry of the people for freedom and multi-party democracy, so shall rulers of Kenya fail for ignoring the cry of the people for a reduction of cost of living and raising taxes to raise the wealth of the rich against the poor,” the former Subukia MP told the Sunday Nation.
Ms Karua said that Kenya is at crossroads and the leadership must stand with the people at this moment.
“We have a crisis of leadership where those in positions are pursuing self-interests and not that of the people and this is the time to call it out,” the Narc-Kenya leader said.
Mr Imanyara expressed his fears that the country is steadily slipping back to the dark Kanu days.
“What kind of a nation is this that the abduction of the son of the Attorney-General by security agents cannot be explained even by the Inspector-General of Police?” Charged the former Imenti Central MP. “We are back to Moi-era disappearances. What is the value of the 2010 Constitution? What I am absolutely convinced about is that just like Moi, Ruto will not succeed in killing our resolve to be free. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”
Mr Kathangu said that Gen Z is a youth movement “for the liberation of our systems”.
“They are on the right path but must make sure the State does not collapse, because if it does, it collapses on them too,” said the former Runyenjes MP. “They must make sure they are very close to identifying a leadership to steer them and negotiate for them and make sure things go their way.”
The ex-MP argued that just like the Kanu regime handled protesters in a brutal way leading to the death of 21 Kenyans during Saba Saba in 1990, the government handled the recent youth protests in a criminal way.
“An arrogant government cannot go very far. If they want to trigger a serious revolution, let them continue thumping their chests and advancing their abductions,” he warned.
Former Makueni governor Prof Kibwana, who is also the ex-spokesperson of the National Convention Executive Council that spearheaded the struggles during the Moi regime, told the government to listen to its people.
“You cannot deal with such protests using threats. We can’t use old tricks to suppress the current voices,” he said. “Abductions and arbitrary arrests only reflect a return of detention without trial. There is a timeframe to take people to court. What’s happening is unconstitutional,” he said.
