The emperor fiddles as the country burns

In the fog of war, it is easy to lose sight of the repercussions of one of the oldest ways of settling real or imagined scores. The actual suffering is not that of the people in power nor even the actual combatants – after all, the latter signed up for it.

It is the so-called common people, those who have nothing to do with the war and who would rather live in peace.

That is why when I saw what I believe to be one of the most heart-rending pictures of the Gen Z protests earlier this week, I felt that as a country, we have taken a turn for the worse. We have sunk to new depths and still digging ourselves in.

The picture was of two ladies hugging and crying outside their looted electronics shop in the CBD amid mountains of debris from the chaos. The picture told more than words: two innocent business ladies in front of their gutted shop that the goons looted. During the previous protests, we saw this lady crying uncontrollably outside her shop after goons were earlier filmed frittering away everything. It is truly a tragedy.

Meantime, the emperor – remember Nero? – fiddles away as the country burns. And yet, the government has the nerve to accuse the youngsters who were peacefully protesting the death of many of their own in the hands of this same government, of being behind the chaos. 

The Interior CS has the cheek to issue a shoot-to-kill order to police. It is an appalling lack of empathy, nay, common sense, at a time when such is sorely needed. What balderdash! 

Which Gen Z carries a recently hewn club to go for demos and goes ahead to use it on some innocent person who might as well be their fathers, mother, sister or brother?

Gen Z knows how to use a padlock cutter to cut metal grills and locks of those small cubicles that are the lifeline of most of the businesses in the country?

Would a genuine protester even know where to start in trying to dispose of such stolen items in the shadowy backyard or wherever stolen goods are stashed away? My answer is an unequivocal no.

Only a seasoned goon knows where to take those stolen laptops and mobile phones for laundering before they are sold discreetly. And only a paid hoodlum would wield a club on a stranger walking the streets, minding his own business.

The street protests have been infiltrated by paid goons, paid for by people in power. We have seen goons on motorcycles and on foot, brandishing clubs, beating people at will and looting while being escorted by policemen. All this is in the public domain.

Kenya’s swift slide from organised protest to violent unrest reminds us how fragile democracy can be without the rule of law and coherent policy. In 2024, 60 people died in the first wave of tax riots; in 2025, around 16 people have perished. Hundreds have been injured or arbitrarily detained. Thousands have been reduced to poverty as their businesses have been looted. 

Once looting and real brutality break through, even initially peaceful crowds can dissolve into chaos. The government’s partial media suppression and heavy-handed security tactics exacerbate mistrust. When basic governance is inconsistent, the social contract frays quickly.

We are at a crossroads. Gen Z’s anger is justified, rooted in economic despair and broken governance. Yet, current protest models have proven dangerously vulnerable to hijacking by infiltrators. With each erosion of peaceful dissent, the social fabric frays further, edging closer to anarchy. How do we move forward?

The government and its agencies are determined to make protests as painful as possible. They will clobber everybody senseless as they hold on to power and their ill-got wealth.

The challenge now is to transform legitimate outrage into resilient civil engagement: through smarter strategies, consistent policy reforms, strengthened institutions, and clear protest frameworks. Without this, activists and the state risk spiralling toward unlivable disorder.

The writer is a communications consultant