Yesterday's JKL Live left me with more questions than answers about the future of Gen Z leadership in Kenya.
For a generation that took to the streets demanding accountability, transparency, economic justice and a different kind of leadership, there is now an important conversation we must have: Are we actually preparing a new generation of leaders, or are we simply preparing younger people to occupy the same political spaces and practice the same politics we have spent years criticizing?
I have always believed that young people deserve a seat at the decision-making table. They understand the challenges of their generation because they live through them. They experience unemployment, the rising cost of living, limited opportunities and the frustrations of a system that often seems disconnected from their realities.
But yesterday's conversation made me reflect on something important. Is being young enough to qualify someone for leadership?
I don't think so.
From activism to leadership: The transition we must get right
The Gen Z movement demonstrated that young people can organize, mobilize, challenge authority and demand answers. It showed that political participation does not have to follow traditional structures.
However, activism and leadership are two different responsibilities.
Activism can demand that things change. Leadership requires understanding what needs to change, how to change it, where the resources will come from and who will be accountable when things go wrong.
It is one thing to stand before a camera and criticize government spending. It is another to understand public finance, scrutinize budgets and hold institutions accountable.
It is one thing to demand better healthcare, education and employment opportunities. It is another to understand the policies and institutional structures required to deliver them.
We must therefore be careful not to confuse political visibility with leadership capacity.
Are we creating a different political culture?
Perhaps the most uncomfortable question is whether some young people entering politics will maintain the principles they once demanded from those in power.
The Gen Z movement placed accountability at the center of its demands. Yet, as young people begin engaging with established political formations and pursuing political positions, they must demonstrate that their principles are not dependent on who is offering them an opportunity.
Can a young leader question their political mentor when they disagree? Can they reject political incentives that compromise their values? Can they remain answerable to the communities they claim to represent?
These are important questions.
We cannot spend years demanding that older politicians be held accountable, only to create exceptions when the individuals involved belong to our generation.
If the objective was to change the system, then changing the faces without changing the practices will achieve very little.
Kenya needs policy-minded young leaders
Our country has challenges that require more than political speeches and social media campaigns.
We need young leaders who understand unemployment, water insecurity, environmental degradation, healthcare financing, education, urban planning and public resource management.
Consider county leadership.
If a young person wants to become an MCA, can they explain their responsibility in legislation, representation and oversight? Do they understand county budgets and how to monitor the delivery of services?
If someone wants to become a Member of Parliament, can they distinguish between making laws, overseeing government and implementing development projects?
These are not unreasonable expectations. They are basic questions that every aspiring leader should be prepared to answer.
We need leaders who understand that political positions are public responsibilities, not personal achievements.
But we must also give young people room to grow
While questioning Gen Z leadership, we must avoid creating an environment where young people are expected to have all the answers before they are given an opportunity.
Political experience should not become a permanent excuse for excluding young people.
They need mentorship, access to decision-making spaces, institutional support and opportunities to develop their leadership abilities.
However, mentorship should not become political ownership. Supporting a young leader should not mean expecting unquestioning loyalty in return.
Young people must also be willing to learn, listen, engage with different opinions and understand the complexity of governing a country.
Leadership is not simply about representing your generation. It is about serving an entire population, including people whose experiences and opinions differ from yours.
The real test begins before 2027
As Kenya approaches the 2027 General Election, we have an opportunity to rethink what we look for in our leaders.
We should stop treating age, popularity, political alliances and social media influence as sufficient measures of leadership.
Instead, we should ask about track records, policy understanding, integrity, accountability and the ability to translate promises into measurable results.
Young people should be scrutinized just as much as established politicians. In fact, they should welcome that scrutiny because it is the very accountability they demanded.
I do not want to see a generation that simply inherits political positions. I want to see a generation that challenges how those positions are understood and exercised.
My biggest concern is not that Gen Z might fail to replace the older generation. It is that they might succeed in replacing them without changing anything.
Perhaps the question we should be asking is not whether Gen Z is ready to lead Kenya.
It is whether the young people seeking leadership are ready to be held to the same standards they once demanded from those in power.
Because Kenya does not simply need younger leaders.
Kenya needs a different standard of leadership.
And that transformation must begin long before anyone gets elected.
For a generation that took to the streets demanding accountability, transparency, economic justice and a different kind of leadership, there is now an important conversation we must have: Are we actually preparing a new generation of leaders, or are we simply preparing younger people to occupy the same political spaces and practice the same politics we have spent years criticizing?
I have always believed that young people deserve a seat at the decision-making table. They understand the challenges of their generation because they live through them. They experience unemployment, the rising cost of living, limited opportunities and the frustrations of a system that often seems disconnected from their realities.
But yesterday's conversation made me reflect on something important. Is being young enough to qualify someone for leadership?
I don't think so.
From activism to leadership: The transition we must get right
The Gen Z movement demonstrated that young people can organize, mobilize, challenge authority and demand answers. It showed that political participation does not have to follow traditional structures.
However, activism and leadership are two different responsibilities.
Activism can demand that things change. Leadership requires understanding what needs to change, how to change it, where the resources will come from and who will be accountable when things go wrong.
It is one thing to stand before a camera and criticize government spending. It is another to understand public finance, scrutinize budgets and hold institutions accountable.
It is one thing to demand better healthcare, education and employment opportunities. It is another to understand the policies and institutional structures required to deliver them.
We must therefore be careful not to confuse political visibility with leadership capacity.
Are we creating a different political culture?
Perhaps the most uncomfortable question is whether some young people entering politics will maintain the principles they once demanded from those in power.
The Gen Z movement placed accountability at the center of its demands. Yet, as young people begin engaging with established political formations and pursuing political positions, they must demonstrate that their principles are not dependent on who is offering them an opportunity.
Can a young leader question their political mentor when they disagree? Can they reject political incentives that compromise their values? Can they remain answerable to the communities they claim to represent?
These are important questions.
We cannot spend years demanding that older politicians be held accountable, only to create exceptions when the individuals involved belong to our generation.
If the objective was to change the system, then changing the faces without changing the practices will achieve very little.
Kenya needs policy-minded young leaders
Our country has challenges that require more than political speeches and social media campaigns.
We need young leaders who understand unemployment, water insecurity, environmental degradation, healthcare financing, education, urban planning and public resource management.
Consider county leadership.
If a young person wants to become an MCA, can they explain their responsibility in legislation, representation and oversight? Do they understand county budgets and how to monitor the delivery of services?
If someone wants to become a Member of Parliament, can they distinguish between making laws, overseeing government and implementing development projects?
These are not unreasonable expectations. They are basic questions that every aspiring leader should be prepared to answer.
We need leaders who understand that political positions are public responsibilities, not personal achievements.
But we must also give young people room to grow
While questioning Gen Z leadership, we must avoid creating an environment where young people are expected to have all the answers before they are given an opportunity.
Political experience should not become a permanent excuse for excluding young people.
They need mentorship, access to decision-making spaces, institutional support and opportunities to develop their leadership abilities.
However, mentorship should not become political ownership. Supporting a young leader should not mean expecting unquestioning loyalty in return.
Young people must also be willing to learn, listen, engage with different opinions and understand the complexity of governing a country.
Leadership is not simply about representing your generation. It is about serving an entire population, including people whose experiences and opinions differ from yours.
The real test begins before 2027
As Kenya approaches the 2027 General Election, we have an opportunity to rethink what we look for in our leaders.
We should stop treating age, popularity, political alliances and social media influence as sufficient measures of leadership.
Instead, we should ask about track records, policy understanding, integrity, accountability and the ability to translate promises into measurable results.
Young people should be scrutinized just as much as established politicians. In fact, they should welcome that scrutiny because it is the very accountability they demanded.
I do not want to see a generation that simply inherits political positions. I want to see a generation that challenges how those positions are understood and exercised.
My biggest concern is not that Gen Z might fail to replace the older generation. It is that they might succeed in replacing them without changing anything.
Perhaps the question we should be asking is not whether Gen Z is ready to lead Kenya.
It is whether the young people seeking leadership are ready to be held to the same standards they once demanded from those in power.
Because Kenya does not simply need younger leaders.
Kenya needs a different standard of leadership.
And that transformation must begin long before anyone gets elected.