People or Power: Ruto's Dilemma and why he Conceded to Gen Z Demands

Wednesday evening president Ruto in a presser addressing the nation he assured Kenyans that he had heard their voices and that he was not going to sign the finance bill 2024. The dilemma is that the president cannot withdraw a bill from parliament and does his decision to withdraw the bill make him stronger politically or weaker.

Amid wild riots in the country even in Ruto's backyard Uasin Gishu, the president had a difficult decision to make. The president had to make a decision on whether to listen to the people or his loyalists and technocrats.

Scenes on Tuesday at Parliament buildings must have informed his decision as fearless Gen Zs stormed parliamement and disrupted proceedings at the house.

Tuesday night Ruto ordered that the acts witnessed at parliament that day were treasonous and ordered security agencies to face protestors with full force. Subsequently a police raid that night at Githurai 45 took the life of atleast 20 people and injured more than 100 people.

After all this the president had difficult decisions to make. If he had not rejected the bill then protestors would have for sure kept their word to occupy statehouse. Occupying statehouse would have shouwn the faultlines in the Kenya Security apparatus and demonstrated the power of the people.

It is clear now to Ruto and any other people that the sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya. They are the ones who give power and they have the power to take it back.