Video of Gen Z's Heart-Wrenching Goodbye Trends Ahead of Demos: "Before I Die"

• Gen Z youths, including a young woman whose heartfelt 'farewell' video went viral, shared emotional reflections on unemployment, poverty, and shattered dreams
• She expressed anger over empty promises of education and opportunity, saying success remains limited to the well-connected while the rest suffer in silence
• The online outpouring came as the country prepares to mark the anniversary of the youths killed during the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, with calls for justice and systemic change

Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.

On the eve of the much-anticipated June 25 memorial demonstrations, young Kenyans—particularly Gen Z—have taken to social media to express their frustration and despair over systemic injustice, unemployment, and economic hardship.

Why was the Gen Z woman 'bidding goodbye'?

In a video that quickly went viral, a young woman shared an emotional monologue, reflecting on the unfulfilled promises of education and the harsh realities faced by thousands of jobless graduates.

She recounted her struggles from childhood through school, describing empty classrooms, hungry days, and the sacrifices her parents made—only to end up unemployed and hopeless.

"This is the last thing I want to say before I die tomorrow. They told us to go to school because education is the key. We sat in classes with no windows. We studied in torn uniforms and on empty stomachs. We believed them, and our parents believed them too. They gave everything—sold cows, missed meals, broke their backs, just to see us wear that gown and years later, here I am, graduated, jobless, hopeless," she lamented.

Her heartbreaking message, framed as a farewell, lamented how opportunities have remained reserved for the well-connected, and how attempts to start small businesses have been crushed by city enforcers or criminal gangs.

She questioned whether death might offer more dignity, painfully noting that compensation for slain protesters might exceed what many can provide their families while alive.

"Even small businesses are not safe here. Kanjos will come, or even the goons they send. They won't only destroy your stall, they will also scatter your future like trash. So if I die tomorrow, maybe my parents will be given KSh 2 million. Maybe that is more than I could ever give them alive. Shoot me close range. Do not leave me like others breathing but broken," the note continued.

The clip, symbolic of a growing national outcry, comes as Kenyans prepare to commemorate the first anniversary of those killed in the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, many of whom were also young and unemployed.

Calls for justice and accountability continue to intensify ahead of Wednesday's planned demonstrations.

"We were told to dream, but were never warned that this would kill us. This country is not safe, not for people like us," she concluded.

How did Kenyans react to the video?

@Orangohenry

"I hope leaders in this country have gotten the message, let the God of heaven protect you for maandamano."

@ThomasM44620035

"The lady has said what we go through. Do you know we have the best degrees and first-class out here? To make it worse, I scored an A. Then we see Gaucho employed and disrupting our demos. Bro Gen Z is a nuclear weapon."

@jamoh20

"It's so true bwana, a bachelor's degree and 6 years later ni mzazi ananitumia mandizi na mahindi Nairobi niweze kusurvive. Kwa hii maisha even given 30 more years I'll never be able to make KSh 2 million to give to my parents, so be it tomorrow, I'll be on the front line."

@kenyanthoughts

"Some of us have struggled, and to get where we are, it took us some real-life beatings. With God's grace, discipline, hard work and endurance, we have reached where we have reached and are still toiling on. Never giving up. Should we blame Adam & Eve for messing up in the garden?"

@Lotikow8x

"It's so disheartening and bewildering at once to know that this country is not headed in the right direction."

@KavosaClaire

"Yooh, I only own a bag of clothes and a name, maybe. What do I stand to lose with a bullet? Unlike Baba Ojwang, my dad has four other kids."

Gen Z protester pens emotional farewell to mum

In yet another tribute, a young protester stirred deep emotions after penning a heartfelt farewell to his mother.

In a viral message, he expressed fear, hope, and a desire for a better future, saying he was driven by love for his family and a need to break the cycle of hardship.

His powerful words captured the generational frustration over unemployment, injustice, and unfulfilled promises.

Source: TUKO.co.ke