Fighting with no understanding and sense of when to say, PERIOD.

 

The Fighter's Paradox: Kenya's Gen Z and the Persistence of Protest

The observation that "a person who believes in fighting itself more than what he is fighting for keeps fighting even long after he has achieved what he was fighting for" finds profound resonance in Kenya's ongoing Gen Z demonstrations, particularly as witnessed on June 25, 2025—exactly one year after protesters stormed Parliament.

Yesterday's protests reveal a movement caught in this very paradox. The original Gen Z demonstrations in 2024 achieved their primary objective: forcing President William Ruto to withdraw the controversial Finance Bill that would have imposed crushing tax burdens on ordinary Kenyans. The protesters succeeded where traditional opposition had failed, compelling a sitting president to reverse course through sheer force of public will.

Yet the demonstrations continue, morphing from their original tax-focused agenda into something more complex and, perhaps, more dangerous to the movement's own coherence. What began as a specific fight against economic exploitation has evolved into a broader confrontation with state authority itself. The recent protests, triggered by the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody, demonstrate how the movement has shifted from fighting for concrete policy changes to fighting against the system of governance itself.

This transformation illustrates the essay's central insight. When protesters become more invested in the act of resistance than in achieving specific outcomes, the movement risks losing its way. The Gen Z protesters have tasted the intoxicating power of collective action, the solidarity of shared struggle, and the identity that comes from being part of a historic movement. These psychological rewards can become self-perpetuating, creating a cycle where the fight becomes its own justification.

The statistics tell a sobering story: reportedly, several people died in yesterday's protests alone with a dozens getting maimed , adding to the dozens killed during the original 2024 demonstrations. The movement that once celebrated forcing Parliament to back down now finds itself trapped in increasingly violent confrontations with security forces. The protesters have won their initial battle but seem unable to declare victory and transition to constructive engagement.

This phenomenon reflects a deeper human truth about conflict and identity. When individuals or movements define themselves primarily through opposition rather than through positive vision, they struggle to function in the absence of an enemy to fight. The Gen Z protesters, having successfully challenged the Finance Bill, now find themselves searching for new battles to justify their continued existence as a movement.

The tragedy lies not in their original victory, but in their inability to evolve beyond it. A movement that could have transitioned into constructive civic engagement, policy advocacy, or institutional reform has instead chosen the familiar path of confrontation. The fighters have become addicted to fighting, even as the original cause that justified their struggle has been achieved.

Kenya's Gen Z protests thus serve as a cautionary tale about the seductive nature of perpetual resistance. True victory requires not just winning the fight, but knowing when to stop fighting and begin building. Until these young protesters learn to channel their energy into constructive rather than destructive ends, they risk becoming prisoners of their own success—forever fighting battles that no longer serve the people they claim to represent.