Soy MP slams Gachagua's remarks on Gen Z support

By Robert Mutasi 

Soy Member of Parliament David Kiplangat has taken issue with Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his recent utterances in depending on the Generation Z constituency for political support in coming elections. 

Speaking on an interview on K24 Television on Monday, September 30, 2024, Kiplangat termed comments by the Deputy President as "overzealous" and indicative of "juvenile politics."

In one of his recent public speeches, Gachagua said that Kenya's younger population-the Generation Z-can be the group to effectively decide who will rule Kenya in the future. 

He even said that with their influence, which is increasingly determining the country's political frontier, they can marshal support for his presidential aspirations in the years to come.

However, Kiplangat, an experienced legislator and Kenya Kwanza coalition member, was quick to dismiss this notion.

He explained that in Kenya, the people's manner of voting is deeply set in tradition and customs, which no single younger generation's political whims can afford to upset.

"A statement that the Deputy President has made that is rather overzealous and sounds like juvenile politics," Kiplangat observed during the interview.

He went ahead to explain that, whereas Generation Z may be very active in social media and political discourse, it might not actually translate into much electoral power. 

"You know, when you say that there is a constituency called Gen Z that can support you to become president in Kenya, I think you lose the mark," Kiplangat added, expressing skepticism over Gachagua's strategy.

He went ahead to say that Kenya's electoral dynamics are somewhat complex, with ethnic and regional alliances playing a key role in determining election outcomes.

Kiplangat reiterated his belief that the political customs which have shaped the immediate past elections of Kenya will remain dominant in future elections.

"The customs and the traditions of the way Kenyans vote will apply in 2027 and will apply in 2032," he added, stressing that any strategy pegged on transient social trends was doomed to fail. 

He cautioned the Deputy President against banking on what is perceived as enthusiasm among young voters, saying his approach could lead to political miscalculations.

"If you are trying to capitalize on a spark at some moment that can translate into votes, that is where your downfall lies," Kiplangat concluded.