Youth champion Charlene Ruto has come under the spotlight for her recent initiative involving student leaders from public universities in what some critics are calling a thinly veiled attempt to propagate government agendas.
Ms. Ruto met with a team of so-called ’47 Presidents’ from various county student associations on Wednesday, July 3. She later addressed Kenyans in a media briefing, flanked by these youthful leaders.
Out of all of the President’s children, Charlene has been the most active and visible, regularly hosting events, appearing at youth summits, initiating programmes, and commenting on thorny national issues.
While the widely documented efforts appear to be a positive engagement on the surface, they have ignited a wave of concern among observers who are weary of potential underlying motives.
They fear that the state might coerce these students, who are already struggling with financial instability and limited resources, into becoming social media influencers, promoting official narratives in exchange for meagre payments.
This could signal the start of a troubling trend of politicising and manipulating vulnerable students for political gain, reminiscent of the old KANU-era tactics.
“Good morning, Nyakundi. Regarding Charlene Ruto’s address this week, she mentioned that she works with 47 representatives, or whatever she calls them, the majority of whom are student leaders from public universities.
“I know two of them and have seen them walking and working with student leaders in school. I am concerned that after the reopening of public universities in September, the government may use these comrades to promote its agendas and narratives through blogging or purchasing their Twitter accounts.
“Due to the hunger they experience on campus, they will accept payments of roughly Ksh 500 or Ksh 1000.
“I’m afraid that the new university fee model won’t help, and because HELB doesn’t function as it used to, the new way to make money will be through blogging.”
“In my school, student leaders will often say, ‘I need 100 or 50 people with a Twitter account. Let us meet at the school’s arboretum,” sources reveal.
Narratives such as “the Gen Z’s have decided” or “the Gen Z’s met with the president” emerge in this manner. This is what I saw happening during the elections. People used to carry their comrades to Kasarani Stadium, provide them with a cap and a shirt for cheering, and then return them to school with Ksh 500 in the evening.
“After they cast their votes in a UDA grassroots election, Isaac Mwaura promised to pay them.” In essence, this marks the start of a dark and menacing development. According to sources, “the use of our comrades is imminent.”
President William Ruto will host his first-ever X Spaces conversation with Kenyans today from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The president will also have cabinet secretaries participate in the discussion.
Ministries, departments, and agencies are actively mobilising and urging staff, especially interns, to participate in the event.
Via Nyakundi