Months after deadly protests rocked Kenya’s streets, President William Ruto says he has regained the trust of the same young people who once accused his government of betrayal.
In an interview aired Sunday, Ruto said that Generation Z who led the anti-tax and cost-of-living protests in June had “come back” to support him after seeing that he had kept his promises on jobs, education, food and health.
“They have since discovered that every commitment I made to empower the young people, to create jobs, to ensure food and health I have kept my promises,” Ruto said. “In the entire country today, the debate is not whether President William Ruto has delivered; that debate is closed.”
The president dismissed recent opinion polls showing that a majority of Kenyans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, insisting that his administration is on track to fulfil its pledges. “In the last election, the polls showed I would never win, which I did. There is a world of difference between what you see and what you get,” he said.
Ruto’s remarks come just months after Kenya’s largest youth-led protests in decades left dozens dead and hundreds injured, sparking outrage over police brutality and deepening public mistrust. The protests, largely organised on social media by Gen Z activists, forced Ruto to withdraw key tax measures and promise dialogue with the youth.
Many young Kenyans, however, remain sceptical. Victims’ families have continued to demand justice and a public apology from the president for the lives lost. “We are still waiting for accountability,” one protester’s brother said in an earlier interview. “The pain hasn’t gone away.”
Analysts say Ruto’s claim of renewed youth backing reflects a calculated effort to project stability ahead of the 2027 election a move aimed at countering perceptions that his administration has lost touch with Kenya’s restless young majority.
