Suluhu remarks on Gen Z trigger backlash over rights, repression fears

Remarks by Tanzania President Samia Suluhu calling for coordinated regional repression of Gen Z demanding democracy have sparked sharp criticism.

The Law Society of Kenya, opposition figures and civil society have condemned the remarks.

Suluhu said she had discussed with her Kenyan counterpart William Ruto how to handle what she described as “ill-mannered Gen Z” activists.

She suggested a joint approach to curb youth-led demonstrations across the region.

“If they come to me, I will deal with them firmly. If they come to you, deal firmly with them,” Suluhu said on Monday during Ruto’s state visit in Dar es Salaam.

The remarks have ignited a political and constitutional backlash in Kenya, where Gen Z-led movements in 2024 and 2025 have become a defining feature of recent civic protests.

Law Society of Kenya president Charles Kanjama on Wednesday issued a hard-hitting statement, warning that any attempt to coordinate suppression of civic expression would violate constitutional protections.

Kanjama said Suluhu’s remarks raised “grave constitutional and rule of law concerns within the East African Community.”

“The Constitution of Kenya is unequivocal. It guarantees freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly under Articles 33, 36 and 37. These are not concessions from the state; they are protected rights that form the foundation of democratic governance,” Kanjama said.

He added that demands for accountability and transparency could not be framed as disorder, but were an essential feature of constitutional democracy.

Kanjama further warned against any regional alignment aimed at limiting civic space, insisting that fundamental rights are not subject to executive convenience.

“The Law Society of Kenya rejects any proposition that fundamental freedoms may be curtailed through executive direction, political convenience or regional alignment. Constitutional rights are not negotiable,” he said.

He called instead for dialogue, not force, as the appropriate response to youth activism, adding that the LSK would resist any attempt to undermine civic freedoms through legal and institutional channels.

Former LSK president Faith Odhiambo also condemned the remarks, describing them as a dangerous shift away from democratic norms.

“When two heads of state meet to discuss how to whip and discipline citizens demanding accountability, we have crossed from democracy into dictatorship,” Odhiambo said.

Odhiambo argued that framing Gen Z activism as misconduct was an attack on constitutional freedoms.

“President Suluhu’s call for President Ruto to join her in suppressing Gen Zs is a conspiracy against constitutional rights. If exercising our constitutional right to protest makes us deserving of canes and whips, then our leaders have forgotten who they serve,” the advocate of the High Court said.

She insisted that Kenya’s constitution remains the ultimate safeguard for civic expression.

Opposition figures have also joined in the condemnation of the remarks.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna reacted to the remarks by saying they would continue to defend democracy even if they are treated like “naughty children.”

Former Chief Justice David Maraga also expressed concern, warning that the rhetoric was inconsistent with democratic values and regional cooperation.

“I am deeply disturbed by the remarks attributed to Her Excellency President Samia Suluhu. It is regrettable that the two presidents are reported to have discussed coordinating efforts to ‘chapa mikwazo’ the Gen Z across Kenya and Tanzania. These remarks are abhorrent,” he said.

Maraga, who is a 2027 presidential aspirant, referenced past allegations of cross-border abuses involving activists, urging East Africans to remain vigilant.

“We must also not forget that our compatriot Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire of Uganda were tortured on Tanzanian soil. The perpetrators remain free. Citizens of East Africa must speak up,” he said.

He warned that such developments risk undermining democratic progress in the region.

“The axis of tyranny that Presidents Suluhu and Ruto are constructing threatens to return our region to autocracy,” he added.

Geopolitical analyst Dr Ahmed Hashi said the youth movement had become central to Kenya’s democratic evolution.

“The Gen Z are probably more important to Kenya than any other political formation. They are standing for a clean government. They want a government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” Hashi said.

He contrasted their demands with current governance trends, arguing that youth activism reflects a deeper legitimacy crisis.

Africa Policy Institute president Prof Peter Kagwanja also criticised the remarks, framing them as generationally inconsistent.

“It’s a pity that President Suluhu would say ‘reign in the Gen Zs’, and the Gen Zs are her grandchildren. If you are a grandmother and you want the grandchildren killed, what is your vision of the future?” Kagwanja posed.

He added that the role of leadership was to guide and mentor young people rather than confront them with force.