Gen Z Wants Dr. Kinity Back: Kenyan Youth Say It’s Time for Fresh Leadership
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Kenya’s youth are rising up and demanding change. Tired of years of bad leadership, corruption, and broken promises, a growing number of young people are calling on Dr. Isaac Newton Kinity, a former civil servants’ union leader and anti-corruption activist now living in the U.S., to return home and help fix the country.
Dr. Kinity is not a new name in Kenyan politics. He once served as Secretary-General of the Kenya Civil Servants Union and became known for fearlessly exposing high-level corruption.
He fled to the United States more than 20 years ago after receiving threats over his activism. Since then, he has continued to speak out about Kenya’s problems, from stolen public funds to injustice and government impunity.
Now, young Kenyans are turning to him again.
Mark Anthony, a youth leader from Kisii, said in a recent interview that Kenya has been trapped in a cycle of poor governance since independence.
He believes the main reason for this is the constant recycling of the same leaders every election.
“We have suffered enough,” he said. “We are tired of being lied to. That’s why we want Dr. Kinity back. He’s not part of the corrupt system. He’s clean, he speaks the truth, and he has been fighting for Kenya for years.”
According to Mark, youth leaders from across the country have started mobilizing and reaching out to Dr. Kinity, asking him to return to Kenya.
They believe he can help lead a new chapter for the country, one that is honest, just, and focused on solving real problems.
Lameck Ouma, who represents youth from Migori, said the situation in the country has become unbearable. He described what he called a modern form of neocolonialism, where it’s not foreigners ruling Kenyans, but local leaders exploiting and oppressing their own people.
“Youth are being killed for asking questions,” he said. “They go to the streets to protest for justice, and they’re met with bullets. We’re tired of being silenced.”
He pointed to serious problems in key sectors. In health, many public hospitals lack medicine and equipment.
Nurses go for months without salaries, and patients sometimes have to lie on the floor because there are no beds.
In education, the cost of university has gone up, and many students have dropped out.
Rural schools are in poor shape, with crumbling classrooms and no books. Roads and water projects in counties like Kisii and Migori remain incomplete or poorly done.
Meanwhile, billions of shillings are lost in corruption scandals like the fake fertilizer saga, KEMSA, and ghost projects.
“Where is all the money going?” Lameck asked. “We are tired of being led by people who only care about themselves. That’s why we want someone like Dr. Kinity, who has been consistent, who has integrity, and who has sacrificed for this country.”
Dr. Kinity recently gave an interview where he warned that Kenya is heading in the wrong direction.
He spoke strongly against leaders who are pushing to change the Constitution to remove presidential term limits.
He said such moves are dangerous and go against the spirit of the 2010 Constitution, which was meant to protect democracy and stop dictatorship.
He also supported the ongoing youth protests, asking young people to remain peaceful but determined. “You have the power to change Kenya,” he said. “Don’t give up. The future belongs to you.”
Dr. Kinity’s name has been gaining attention across youth-led spaces, on TikTok, Facebook, and even in university WhatsApp groups.
Young people are sharing his old speeches, interviews, and quotes. Some have even started online petitions asking him to return home.
He has also written open letters about serious issues in Kenya. In one letter, he demanded investigations into extrajudicial killings and mysterious disappearances.
He said Kenya risks becoming a failed state if leaders continue to ignore justice and silence critics.
In another letter, he highlighted the low pay of KDF soldiers, some earning as little as KSh 7,000, and questioned why those defending the country are treated so poorly while politicians live in luxury.
Human rights groups like Amnesty Kenya and Mathare Social Justice Centre have also raised similar concerns in recent months, especially around police brutality and the shrinking space for free speech.
Many believe that Kinity’s voice is important in pushing back and keeping pressure on those in power.
For youth like Mark and Lameck, Kinity represents more than just a person. He is a symbol of what leadership should look like: honest, accountable, and ready to serve.
“Even if he’s in the U.S., his words are shaking the ground here,” Mark said. “But we don’t just want his voice, we want him back in Kenya. We believe he can help lead the change we need.”
With a knack for captivating storytelling, Amos Lumbasi has a talent for crafting narratives that resonate with readers. He combines meticulous research with a captivating writing style to create articles that are both informative and enjoyable to read.
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