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Paper short abstract:

This paper will examine the place of female protestors in the youth-led protest that took place in Nairobi between June 2024 and January 2025. The visibility of women protestors has highlighted their abilities as astute and articulate planners and communicators.

Paper long abstract:

This paper examines the place of female protestors in the youth-led protests in Nairobi which were dubbed as ‘Gen-Z’ protests. For the first time in Kenyan history, young people from all walks of life took to the streets to protest what they deemed as Government excesses. In seeking to pass an already flawed and deeply unpopular Finance Bill 2024, the government drew the ire of the youth. Using social media platforms, especially, X, formerly known as Twitter, they organized marches all over the country. Indeed, the country’s mainstream media reported that there were protests in more than half of the 47 counties. Emerging for the smoke and loss of the protests, were fearless female protestors who took their place to organize, lead protests, carry placards and fundraise. They proved to be an important part of the revolutionary process by increasing the visibility of issues raised on their social media accounts; and highlighted in protests in the city of Nairobi and other urban centers in Kenya. Drawing on historical material and the emergent media source, this paper seeks to highlight how these female protestors are a part of the history of astute and articulate Kenyan females who agitated for the rights of the downtrodden. I shall also question the need to harness the momentum gained to further entrench the place e of women in the public sphere of the discussion on regime change or institutional change in Kenya and the Global South.