Rift Valley Shows Least Support For Gen-Z Protests, TIFA Report Reveals

The Rift Valley region exhibits the lowest support for the Gen-Z protests according to a TIFA report released on Thursday, July 18.

The report, which surveyed over 1,500 people via phone between July 16 and 17, indicates that 27 percent of Rift Valley residents oppose the Gen-Z movement.

The protests, primarily driven by young Kenyans, erupted nationwide in June 2024 in response to a series of new taxes introduced by President William Ruto’s administration.

Ruto, who came to power in 2022 with a strong anti-corruption platform, has faced increasing opposition from the Gen-Z demographic over economic policies perceived as burdensome.

“Across the demographics, the Rift Valley region and older respondents aged 35 years and above showed slightly lower support for the protests,” the report stated.

Despite the lower support in Rift Valley, a significant majority of the Kenyan population, 81 percent, supports the Gen-Z protests.

Western Region follows Rift Valley in showing less support for the protests, with 21 percent opposition, while the Coast and Eastern regions register 20 percent and 19 percent opposition, respectively.

Nairobi and Nyanza lead in supporting the nationwide demonstrations, with 90 percent and 89 percent support, respectively.

Central and North Eastern regions also show strong backing for the protests, with 88 percent and 83 percent support, respectively.

The report further shows that the Azimio coalition is the leading supporter of anti-government protests, with 91 percent backing, followed by the Kenya Kwanza coalition at 79 percent.

Also Read: Majority Of Kenyans Demand Military Withdrawal From Streets Amid Protests

“The support for the Gen-Z movement transcends political affiliations, indicating a broad-based agreement on the importance of the issues raised by them,” the report noted.

While the majority of respondents reported no direct involvement in physical or online protests, those who did participate primarily engaged through social media platforms.

The primary demand of the Gen-Z demonstrations, which resonates with most Kenyans, is for the government to implement austerity measures to cut down on spending.

The widespread support for austerity measures among Kenyans indicates a shared concern over government expenditure and economic management.