This archive report was first published on 14 September 2019.
Published on September 14, 2019, a time when femicide was at its peak in Kenya, a nation-wide conversation began about the 'boy child' crisis and the emergence of the 'angry young Kenyan male.'
Characterized by their passion for football, love of avocado, and keen interest in social media, these young men are also prone to outbursts of anger and prejudice against women.
So, what makes them so angry? To find out, we spoke to several young men and gathered their thoughts on the matter.
Ken Kibet, a 28-year-old poet, shared his frustrations with being judged by society based on his financial status. 'Society judges us men by what we have. 'Kaa Sina pesa' (If I don't have money), who am I in society? There's no pride in that.'
He also spoke about the pressure to marry and the expectation that men should be financially stable before doing so. 'As a man, I have to wait until I am financially stable to marry by which time most girls my age might have already been taken by financially stable older suitors.'
Another young man, Fidel Shammah, aka Charisma, an artiste and lawyer, 25, attributed the anger to a sense of entitlement and a lack of understanding of rejection. 'Growing up, most people my age were used to getting everything we needed from our parents. If the parent said 'no', we perceived them as not loving.'
He also spoke about the influence of music and the lyrics that demean women, leading to a culture of disrespect towards women.
Misare Njagah, an advocate at OMA-LAW LLP, 28, emphasized the importance of a responsible father figure in a boy's life. 'For a boy to grow up in a balanced way, he should have a responsible father figure who can teach him how to be a man.'
He also spoke about the pressure on men to conform to societal expectations and the need for men to be emotionally balanced.
