At home, they look innocent and reserved but online they are bold and experimental; these are young men fondly known as Gen Z.
In a growing trend, some of them are now shooting shots at high-profile figures, including female Members of Parliament on social media, and in fact some of them respond to their desires.
Take the case of Nairobi Woman representative Esther Passaris who went on a date with a young man who expressed his wish to date her despite their age difference.
To get her attention, the man took to the streets of Nairobi asking for a dinner date with her at her convenience.
Thus on April 5, Passaris took the man who seemed much younger than her for a luncheon in a Nairobi hotel where they shared meals and stories.
“I finally met Kennedy Arnold, the young man who once held up a sign hoping to meet me. Sometimes, all it takes is a sign… and a little faith. Today, we shared a meal, stories, and a glimpse into his world. What do you think we spoke about?” Passaris shared.
The young men mostly reach out to their targets on Facebook or WhatsApp using suggestive language, which leaves some female MPs baffled.
Millicent Omanga, who is eyeing the Nairobi Woman representative seat, has also received thousands of messages from men expressing their love for her.
Omanga is an avid online user, mostly Facebook, TikTok and X, platforms where she has a huge following, thus her fame; she also likes sharing classy dance moves when listening to gospel music.
But on April 8, she shared a screenshot of a raunchy message she received from a stranger believed to be a young man desiring her. “Good morning Mheshimiwa Omanga, I’m very romantic, kindly give me a chance to have a relationship leading to marriage,” the text reads in part.
When she failed to respond, the stranger threatened not to vote for her even as Omanga described the move as blackmail.
Young encounters
Another victim is Suba North Member of Parliament Millie Odhiambo who opened up about her ordeals at the hands of the daring Gen Zs.
In an interview with a local radio station last year, Millie confessed that she has been receiving suggestive photos and videos from young men on WhatsApp.
The vocal lawmaker said some of the men messaging her are too young to be her grandson.
Millie condemned the act, saying this young generation should be taught self-control and moral decency.
“Some of these young men send me raunchy videos and photos on WhatsApp, saying their cassavas are big and asking if I would be interested in them. Some of them are young enough to be my grandsons, sending me such a message,” she said.
Adding that, “There is a need to restore respect. I don’t know whether it’s the effects of smoking or whether we have failed as parents to teach our children.”
Millie added that during a recent by-election campaign in Kasipul she restricted herself from her usual dance moves.
This, she explained was because she was sharing a podium with Boyd Were, the 27-year-old who emerged the winner in the hotly contested by-election succeeding his father, Ong’ondo Were, who was shot dead in Nairobi. “I had to step back, because I see him as my son. He is a young man; there must be respect for us. Let’s be respectful. I appeal to our young men and women to be upright,” Millie said.
Generational gap
Experts argue that unlike before, men growing up in the current generation lack mentorship and thus don’t value hard work.
Counselling psychologist and family therapist Nicoleta Mungai argues this also has something to do with responsibility, adding that nowadays some men prefer being kept by women.
“I think for me, it’s about responsibility. They are running away from the responsibility of being a man. A man should go and toil, that’s the Bible. The woman should nurture,” she explained.
Adding; “But today, even those who are dating, they want to date in partnerships. Nowadays you have very young men who are just sitting around and they just want to play the PlayStation.”
The expert, however, disagrees that the boy child has been neglected, citing that older men have failed to nurture these young men.
At the same time, she argues that if the mothers are the ones who provide in the house, the boys also look for a girl who will provide for them. “I think our men need to come up and mentor these boys. They need to know what the role of a man is in society, and also in the family setup.”
Another expert, Ken Muga, argues that some young men believe that older women bring emotional maturity to relationships.
He says such men believe that mature women have often navigated life’s ups and downs, making them more stable and confident in their approach to relationships. “For men, especially younger ones, this emotional steadiness provides a refreshing alternative to the uncertainty often experienced in relationships with less experienced partners,” he said.
“In relationships with older women, men are more likely to feel supported and understood; it also depends on the setup where one grew up,” he continued.
The counsellor notes that this dynamic encourages open communication and fosters a healthier emotional connection.
Emotional learning
“Younger men often report that dating older women helps them express their feelings more freely and develop better emotional intelligence, which is a key skill for personal and professional growth, but that should not be encouraged,” he added.
In 2018, Kenyans were shocked after a 25-year-old man leaked photos while in bed with an elderly Woman Representative.
It emerged that the two had been dating for some time and when they fell out, he opted to leak the photos to the public.
He was later arrested and charged with, among others, extorting Members of Parliament and misuse of telecommunication gadgets.
Traditionally, men were expected to be older and financially stronger, while women were younger, considered more “suitable” for marriage.
But times are shifting. Urban life, economic realities, and changing gender dynamics have rewritten the rules.
Older women, financially independent and socially assertive, are no longer afraid to date younger men. In return, many young men are willing to embrace these relationships for love, comfort, or even opportunity.