“We are looking for a leader who sticks to his plans, not just talking the promises that he makes,” agreed Conrad Mutangili, a 19-year-old mechanical engineering student who had come out of curiosity.
“We are looking for somebody who can actually accomplish and actually bring to the people what they are talking about,” he said. “Because they promise sweets, but we don’t feel any sugar in our mouths.”
“We want immediate results,” said a 22-year-old computer science student, Yvonne Kileme, acknowledging that the results of government projects may be more long-term. “And one thing that we want as youths is employment, employment, employment, employment.”
Ruto argues strongly that his government is delivering jobs, and says the high rate of youth unemployment is a problem that predates his presidency.
He has reached out to Gen Z with various programmes that offer grants and loans to small business and youth-led enterprises, technology hubs and digital work opportunities.
The national youth leader of Ruto’s UDA, Kariuki Ngunjiri, told the BBC he was confident of winning the election with an overwhelming majority.
“The president is a listening president and he’s been able to now come down to the youth, get what their concerns are, give them jobs, and that has absolutely, even for the party, given us a head start,” he said.
“We are not worried about the social media buzz because we are people who actually engage the young people on real, actual, tangible development. What you see mostly on sponsored hashtags and sponsored headlines does not really concern us.”
He was speaking as a senior sports official promised to expand the stadium-building programme with another venue, at a packed UDA town hall meeting in Kangema, about 100km (60 miles) north of the capital, Nairobi.
Like so many others, 23-year-old Shintah Mutahi was job hunting.
“I came to listen to what they were saying,” she said, “maybe find an opportunity for a job. I think they can give me a chance, they should just be given some time to do that.”
John Kiragu, a local UDA youth leader, said he understood the grievances that had driven young people to protest.
“There have been challenges,” he said, “but now the government is really trying hard to consolidate the youth. The government is implementing programmes that will really uplift their lives.”
