Media personality Ciru Muriuki has come to the defense of Generation Z following the online backlash sparked by videos from the recently concluded SummerTides Festival, arguing that young people are being unfairly labelled as the “most immoral” generation.
Speaking in a video shared on social media, Muriuki challenged older Kenyans to stop judging Gen Z based on viral clips from the beach festival, saying every generation has had its own moments of rebellion and excess.
“Don’t let my generation lie to you that you’re the most immoral. Don’t, don’t, don’t do it,” she said.
Her remarks come after SummerTides Festival dominated conversations online, with videos of revellers partying at Kenya’s Coast attracting criticism from some social media users. Several commentators accused Gen Z of promoting irresponsible behaviour, while others questioned the culture surrounding large youth festivals.
Muriuki, however, argued that the criticism ignores history, pointing out that millennials and Generation X also had their own notorious party scenes long before smartphones and social media documented every moment.
“Because me as a millennial, I remember going for Masaku Sevens. And then remember how the week after Masaku Sevens, all the chemists in Nairobi didn’t have Postinor, P2. The generation before us, Gen X, they went crazy in the ’90s. Let’s not even talk about the boomers. Every generation has had madness,” she said.
Her comments referenced the once-popular Masaku Sevens rugby tournament, an event that became synonymous with vibrant parties and youthful excess during its peak years. By drawing comparisons with earlier generations, Muriuki argued that today’s youth are not behaving differently from those who came before them.
Instead, she believes Gen Z’s actions appear more visible because they are the first generation to grow up under the constant gaze of smartphones and social media.
According to the media personality, previous generations enjoyed the freedom to make mistakes without the fear of their actions being permanently recorded and shared online.
“The only thing, and I feel so sad for Gen Z, is that you guys are the first generation not to have privacy when you’re turning up. Us we turned up, there’s no record of our activities,” she said.
Muriuki went on to joke that young people deserve spaces where they can enjoy themselves without worrying about being filmed for social media.
“I think I should start a space for y’all where your phones are locked at the door, then you guys can misbehave and no one is going to clip you and put you on the internet,” she added.
The debate follows days of intense discussion surrounding SummerTides Festival, one of Kenya’s largest beach entertainment events. While thousands of attendees shared positive experiences from the festival, isolated clips showing intoxication, explicit dancing and other controversial moments dominated online conversations, fuelling criticism from some sections of the public.
