MAUREEN WARUINGE ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST

04 August 2024

• The activist has become one of the biggest stars of the anti-finance bill protests.

Kasmuel MCoure has been dubbed the 'Tom Mboya of our time' by Gen Z since stepping into the limelight.

The young activist's look, fierce debate skills, and understanding of national issues have endeared him to young Kenyans. Kasmuel has now announced that he will vie for a political seat in the next General Elections.

"It is time for people who call themselves good men to step up," he shared. In an interview with Kenyans.co.ke, he explained why he is taking this next step.

"I will be vying for an elective position. Whether it's in Nairobi or Kenya, that will be determined later. Right now, we are not necessarily in a political exercise in terms of campaigns; that's what the political class is doing. What we are doing is clamoring for change, and this is not something I just decided suddenly."

Kasmuel indicated on Friday, August 1, that he had been considering this bold step for a while. "I've been saying this since 2002, because that's when I came of age. In the next election, I'm sick and tired of us electing clowns. It is time for people who call themselves good men to step up so that we have more options. We have always been forced to choose between two candidates, which creates a dilemma of choosing the lesser evil."

"I will vie in 2027," he declared, noting that he will not be affiliated with a political party. Already, individuals have rushed to reserve political party names with an eye on Gen Z.

An applicant recently sought to reserve 10 names of political parties, including Gen-Z Movement, Gen-Z National Movement, Gen-Z Alliance Movement, Gen-Z Democratic Movement, Gen-Z People's Alliance, Gen-Z United Movement, Gen-Z People's Movement, Gen-Z Political Party, Gen-Z Democratic Party, and Gen-Z Alliance Party.

"We don't need to register a political party called Gen Z," Kasmuel reacted to the news. In a statement, Registrar Ann Nderitu rejected the application, stating that it violated Article 91 (1) (a) (e) of the Constitution and hence cannot be approved.

Article 91 of the Constitution requires a political party to have "a national character as prescribed by an Act of Parliament" and to "respect the right of all persons to participate in the political process, including minorities and marginalized groups."