Finance Bill protests by GenZ this week took a frightening turn when what appeared like criminal elements infiltrated demonstrations with the sole target of looting and property destruction.

Kenya’s history reminds us that if violence is not promptly contained, it can quickly degenerate into national chaos with serious negative socio-economic and political outcomes.

The apparent grievances of Gen Z are heavy taxation at a time when the cost of living is hurting, runaway corruption, wasteful public service expenditure, and diminished job opportunities for the youth. These are indeed genuine grievances and can only be resolved by the government.

The areas touching on financial accountability can be sorted out immediately through political resolve to cut out corruption and the wastage of public resources. It is a critical first step to demonstrate seriousness and commitment to address the key budgetary issues.

Job creation for youths is a matter of sharply focusing on those productive and service sectors while providing critical skills and assisted financing for the youths who go for self-employment.

No one can pretend that withdrawing the Finance Bill was an easy solution. However, nearly all stakeholders agree that the additional taxes in the now-withdrawn Finance Bill 2024 are unaffordable for the general population and will negatively affect businesses and the economy.

The national debt accumulated over the years cannot all be paid in a single budgetary year. It has to be spread over a longer period, and the International Monetary Fund will need to see this as a reality. It is for our political and economic bosses to negotiate with creditors a workable and affordable debt payment plan.

Panic and hurried debt management are problems with the negative consequence of throwing the country into an economic and political crisis.

The government and the political leadership have the prime responsibility to ensure that genuine grievances are addressed and that the protests do not morph into wider violence and insecurity, for indeed, these can increase “country risks” for Kenya, with the unintended consequences of repelling investors and credit providers.

Experiences from elsewhere show that if a country degenerates into anarchy, it takes time to get out of it. And this is after numerous wasted opportunities and lost esteem.

Finally, we should recognise that the world is currently preoccupied with major geopolitical and national issues and will have less time to address Kenya’s problems.