Register as voters, Gen Zs; next revolution will be on the ballot

Hey Gen Z,

Let’s talk.

In the past two years, you have done great things that sealed your place in this country’s history. You have reminded us what patriotism truly means. You have reminded us, the older generation, that it isn’t about waving flags, (and we did that quite a lot as Watoto wa Nyayo), or reciting the loyalty pledge. You have taught us that love for our country is about courage, conviction and action. It is about showing up, and refusing to stay silent when things go wrong. And you have done this excellently.

You have taught us unity. You have shown us that when we speak with one voice, the powerful listen. You have proved that force isn’t what shakes systems but truth and boldness. We have watched you use intelligence and creativity to advance the national good. We’ve sat in awe as we you eloquently demystified the Constitution, quoting sections we never knew existed. You have walked into newsrooms and defended your stance with so much calm and clarity that ‘career’ panelists were left scrambling for words. You have done the unimaginable, and in doing so, restored our hope for this country.

But now, dear Gen Z, there is one more thing, maybe the most important thing, left to do to ensure everything you have stood for is heard and translated into real change: Register to vote. This is your moment.

The independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has rolled out a nationwide voter registration exercise. Even better, the President has waived the fee for replacing lost ID cards, clearing the path for you. This is your chance to make the ultimate move.

I will tell you something; voter apathy is how bad leaders happen. When you fail to register or stay home on election day, you hand victory to those who fear change. Every unregistered Gen Z is a vote for the status quo: For corruption, for incompetence, and everything you have fought against so fiercely.

Already, some politicians are up with the old tricks of ferrying supporters from one region to another to boost their numbers. They may not be breaking any law by ‘buffering their zones’, but they certainly are manipulating the system for their gain. You do not counter this kind of deceit with hashtags and tweets. You counter it with numbers. You counter it with your ID card and your vote.

Imagine if the same energy that got thousands of you on the streets, the same brilliance that organised nationwide protests went towards voter registration. Imagine you flooding social media with memes and challenges, with selfies and clips from registration centres, with friendly reminders to each other to verify their details, ensuring no one is left behind. You demonstrated to us how powerful social media is as a tool. Now take it even further with this.

Your next revolution is on the ballot. Your new movement is rallying for mass voter registration.

And let no one lie to you that elections come already decided and that your vote doesn’t count. That lie exists to make you lose hope and sit back when you should be reclaiming your power. The truth is, when you vote overwhelmingly, you leave little to no room for manipulation. You close the door to rigging and make your collective voice impossible to silence.

You owe it to yourselves to get it right. We admit it, we, the Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, all of us, dropped the ball. We became too complacent when we should have acted. But you are different.

You owe it to yourselves, to the resources you poured in, the time you spent on the streets, the teargas you endured to finally fix this country. You owe it to those we lost and to every single person who believes this nation can be redeemed.

Please go out, register, verify, and when the time comes, vote.

You are the generation that proved mountains can be moved. Go out now and cement that truth.

With hope and faith,

A fellow Kenyan who believes in you.

Ms Wekesa is a development communication consultant