Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has recalled the moment Gen Zs advised him to step aside and allow them to lead the movement independently during the heated June 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
Speaking in Jomvu, Mombasa, on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, Raila hailed those protests as just and affirmed that he honoured the request and followed the demonstrations from home.
He said the Gen Zs assured him that they were ready to push the government to the edge in pursuit of justice, and that they were confident they could carry the burden to completion without his physical involvement.
“Last year, our young people came out in large numbers and picked up the very cause we had been fighting for. They told the government exactly what we had been saying all along. They told me, ‘Baba, you have done enough. Please stay at home and let us finish this battle.’ And I stayed home,” Raila said.
He went on to recall how, despite his absence on the streets, the Gen Z protesters turned up in droves across the country, passionately chanting against the high cost of living and economic injustice, with many of them sustaining injuries and some losing their lives in the process.
“Young people came out in overwhelming numbers in every part of the country, raising their voices against the rising cost of living. Some were shot during the demonstrations, while others were met with military deployment along the streets. Kenya was on fire at that time,” he explained.
Raila further reflected on the ripple effect of the protests, crediting the youth-led uprising with forcing President William Ruto to abandon the controversial Finance Bill and to restructure his administration shortly after.
He noted that the impact was so strong that the government was compelled to listen, react, and respond in ways that aligned with the people’s demands.
“Eventually, President Ruto withdrew the Finance Bill and went on to dissolve his government. What we were fighting for was justice,” he said.
Raila explained that he later called for a national dialogue among all stakeholders in order to find a sustainable and inclusive solution for the country.
He revealed that, however, the proposal was met with resistance by some, even though President Ruto eventually formed a government and signalled a willingness to absorb skilled individuals from across the divide.
He clarified that although the opposition offered experts to join in bringing about reforms from within, they never agreed to join the government formally, and that ODM remained firmly in the opposition bench.
“I called for all Kenyans to come together and engage in meaningful talks so that we could arrive at a lasting solution. Although some rejected the idea of dialogue, President Ruto eventually formed a government. We said we were ready to offer experts to help drive change from within, but we never said we were joining the government. We have remained as ODM,” Raila added.
