Following the sudden outbreak of deadly protests in Kenya that have so far killed over 50 people and injured over 400 in a span of 6 weeks, President William Ruto has now announced ten more nominations – in addition to the 11 appointments assigned a few days before – in a quest to curb the protests across the country. However, several people have criticized the leader for taking action a little too late and not doing enough.

Ruto has further included four high-level opposition members as part of the new cabinet, hoping to form a government of national unity in Kenya – in the wake of mounting pressure from Gen Z protestors who have been demanding for better governance. 

Ruto has also withdrawn the controversial tax bill that aimed to raise over $3.2bn, which was the prime cause for the eruption of protests across the country. 

However, as the unrest in Kenya now enters its sixth week, protestors – who are mostly Gen Z and millennials – do not seem happy with their leader’s latest measures, as frustration mounts amongst Kenya’s youths for not being heard and understood.

The Kenyan leader further re-selected six members of his formerly dismissed cabinet for the new government. This drew a fresh bout of criticism from those protesting on the streets and calling for change. 

“If the president were to listen to the free advice from Kenyans, he would not appoint more than three people from his old cabinet to the new one. There is a lot of tribalism,” one of the protestors, John Njoroge, told DW.

“The appointment seems to have united some parts of the country,” another protestor, Lex Mulwa, added, expressing that this will not be enough to meet the demands of Gen Z protesters.

“They feel there are so many more qualified people. So the problem is the recycling of the same people,” he added.

Gen Z protestors have persistently asked for new faces in the hierarchy of the country’s leadership.

“We, as Gen Z, refuse the new appointments. We don’t want old people in the cabinet. The president should remove them and appoint some from Gen Z,” businessman and protestor Peter Kariuki told DW.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly spoke to Ruto this week and “emphasized the vital role played by youth” and “urged respect for their contributions to Kenya’s development”, according to the State Department.

The National Assembly still has to approve Ruto’s new cabinet nominations, with hearings to take place in early August. Critics suggest that the government is also seeking to buy time hoping the Gen Z protesters “run out of steam, as they lack experience with consistency.”