Tear gas fills the air, crowds chant beneath a sea of fluttering flags, and Nairobi’s streets transform into battlegrounds of resistance. When their government has fueled corruption and promoted ethnic divides, the public employs a unique force in protest: national pride. Unlike the divisive nationalism that fuels xenophobic rhetoric, Kenya’s patriotism demands accountability and change.
In June, thousands of Kenyans protested against a finance bill proposed by the government. Nearly five months later, the vice-president Rigathi Gachagua was impeached by the Kenyan senate. The past six months of Kenyan politics has been defined by uncertainty, but one thing is sure, the Kenyan people have fought for their beliefs. The country’s long association with corruption and authoritarian-like control has become challenged by a movement—one of national pride and hope for a better government.
The Flag as a Weapon of Resistance
The national flag: a simple, yet powerful symbol for national pride. In Kenya the government has restricted its display since its founding. The National Flag, Emblems and Names Act renders it an offense to, “fly or display the national flag on non-governmental properties outside of public holidays or occasions.” The law—originally established as a way to instill respect for the new national government when the country first gained independence in 1963—now has the antagonistic effect of dividing this nation. Fines and prison sentences could be enforced for this simple display of the flag in Kenya. The flag is exclusively reserved for the president and governmental officials.
The protests saw a defiance of the law with protesters waving and displaying the flag. Demonstrators have begun to drape the flags on coffins and have decided to take back this simple, yet powerful symbol. The deliberate rejection of the restrictive laws sends a powerful message of unity for the people of Kenya: the people are taking their flag back from the government. The demonstrations worked, as Ruto was forced to withdraw the bill after thousands took over the streets of Nairobi. Two hundred people were reportedly arrested with at least 23 killed.
From Tribalism to National Unity
Kenya’s politics has long been ruled over ethnic and tribal superiority. The country is home to over forty ethnic tribes, with 41% of the country identifying as either Kikuyu, Kalenjin or Luo. With this, it is no surprise that of the five Kenyan presidents, three have belonged to the Kikuyu tribe and two from the Kalenjin. Ethnicity and political power have a close relationship in the country, with most paying close attention to the tribe of the candidate rather than the policies that the candidate will enact. However, the country has begun to change, in some ways for the better.
The 2023 elections saw a rejection of this ethnic loyalty that has dominated the country. Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya’s former president endorsed Raila Odinga a Luo. What was expected was that Kikuyu Kenyans would vote for Odinga. This did not happen. Even Luo Kenyans turned on Odinga as over six-hundred thousand registered voters failed to cast their vote. In the aftermath of the election, Ruto won with 50.5% of the vote. The results themselves were taken to court with accusations of fraud.
With the impeachment of Gachagua, a Kikuyu, the Ruto administration parted ways with the Kikuyu ethnic tribe. The tribes have held a partnership with each other against the Luo in order to hold power in the government. Gachagua’s impeachment, where he was found guilty on five charges including inciting ethnic violence and violation of the constitution, could risk the political relationship between the tribes.
The impeachment itself was a response to the protests that have gone on in Kenya since June as the people demand some sort of action. The waving of the flag is a demand for change and one of national unity, rather than the tribalism that has ruled Kenya since its independence. The rejection of the anti-flag laws is a symbolic representation of Kenyans believing in this modern nation, rather than one ruled by ethnic tribalism. This push for national pride and unity is a movement that has led to these influential changes in Kenyan politics.
From Tribalism to National Unity
The demonstrations and the violence that ensued in June were not unique by any means. The 2007-2008 presidential election was followed by months of violence and dissent, leaving over 1000 dead and 350,000 displaced. Much of the conflict was linked to the ethnic tensions between these tribes in Kenya. The Luo candidate, Raila Odinga lost by over 200,000 votes to the then re-elected president Mwai Kibaki, a Kikuyu. Evidence of fraud was found and the violence that ensued was inflicted principally on Kikuyu people. Eventually, the dispute was settled and Raila Odinga was announced as prime minister, a new position in Kenya’s government. The protests greatly undermined the belief in a unified country and the state in 2007 described a government that was doomed to fail.
Where the 2007 elections were seen as the imminent buildup of ethnic tension, the 2013 elections in Kenya was in a sense, surprisingly peaceful. In the five years, Kenya was able to draft a new constitution that decreased the power of the presidency and created lower-level country governments. The elections in 2013 declared Uhurru Kenyatta president, and William Ruto as his vice-president, in what was considered a free and fair election from the Kenyan Supreme Court. Kenyan politics remained divided but peaceful up until 2017 where many ethnic tensions began to rise again. The elections in 2017 declared a re-run as the original election in August was deemed fraudulent. Uhuru Kenyatta was re-elected as the president, where some of these ethnic tensions began to resurface, kindling until their eruption in the protests in 2024. These demonstrations throughout the years have used this belief in nationalism and unity as a to advocate for change.
The Youth Revolution: Social Media and New Activism
#Rejectfinancebill2024 was the hashtag that drew out thousands from their homes in order to protest the finance bill. Much of the demonstrations came from Kenya’s youth. The country has an unemployment rate of 12% and youth making up 68% of this unemployed population. Out of the country of 47 million people, 35 million are under 35. This population has grown up in a divided and complicated political schema. To them, they have seen their politicians and presidents as corrupt power hungry individuals, which is why so many of the protesters in June were young Kenyans. The message to them is one of national unity and solidarity rather than of the tired ethnic loyalty that has ruled the country’s politics since its founding. The protests are an image of these citizens reconnecting, and rejecting the leaders that have failed them. The youth populations used social media platforms in order to ignite this new wave of Kenyan activism, and their protests are fueled by a form of nationalism that is used to unify the country, rather than divide it.
It is not just the youth. In March, doctors in Kenya went on strike because of the government’s failure to honor an agreement for higher pay signed in 2017. The movements, while being largely political and economic, also held the government accountable for femicide and government inaction.
Kenya is standing at a crossroads. Its youth, emboldened by unity and a rejection of tribal politics, are demanding a future free from corruption and division. The protests of 2024 are more than a moment—they are a movement. Unlike the nationalism often associated with conservative and right-wing ideologies in the West—frequently rooted in exclusionary, anti-immigrant, or xenophobic rhetoric—Kenya’s national pride is inclusive, focused on accountability, justice, and shared progress. It is a unifying force that challenges entrenched systems of corruption and tribalism, fostering a vision of governance that serves the people. If the government fails to heed this call, it risks losing not just its mandate, but the very fabric of the nation. In the end, Kenya’s story will be written not by its leaders, but by its people: a united force determined to reclaim their democracy, one flag at a time.
Featured Image Source: Bloomberg
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