As the 2027 elections draw closer and the influence of Kenya’s younger generation becomes more evident, political discourse has gone digital as politicians vie for the support of this restless voting bloc.
The political landscape is undergoing a digital transformation as politicians, their staff and supporters use artificial intelligence (AI) to engage with the Gen Z constituency.
Born between the late 1990s and 2010, this group of young Kenyans has been bold and vocal in its engagement with politics, often utilising social media platforms. This group played a key role in the anti-Finance Bill protests of 2024, which shook the foundations of Kenya’s political establishment, and has become a subject of interest for the political class.
They are developing and using chatbots that explain and summarise policies and laws, memes to educate each other in a catchy way and live sessions that foster trust.
AI is already transforming how Kenyans make decisions in many areas, such as shopping and entertainment. And political leaders are aware that, given the exponential growth of AI and its uptake, it will play an important role in the 2027 elections by shaping the perceptions that determine politics.
With millions of young people not yet registered to vote, political leaders are using technology to urge them to take action and help to shape the country’s future.
The political landscape is undergoing a digital transformation as politicians, their staff and supporters use artificial intelligence (AI) to engage with the Gen Z constituency.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
The politicians are employing AI to present information in a more accessible, youth-oriented format, with the aim of shaping and dominating the political narrative. They are doing this through AI-driven campaigns to catch the eye of digitally savvy voters who spend most of their time online by micro-targeting them—this group thrives on digital interaction and expects real-time, relatable messaging.
AI is being used to craft appealing messages, generate memes and videos targeting the youth and to engage directly with the young through chatbots.
Some politicians are employing AI to find out how much their brand is known among young people, a cost-effective and more efficient way to conduct opinion polls.
Political pundits suggest that in this AI-enabled age, the future of Kenyan politics will be written and shared one post at a time. They say that the next elections will be influenced not only by policy and personalities, but also by the digital engagement of a generation intent on being heard.
“The lesson we have learned is that Gen Z will have a significant influence on the 2027 elections and those that follow,” says political analyst Mr Javas Bigambo.
He notes that for their power to be felt in the country’s governance, the youth have to coalesce around ideals when making decisions in the General Election.
“Their power and influence are potent and cannot be ignored. They realise that they don’t need to be mobilised by any politician. They must now master the art of controlling and accessing political power, but most importantly, they must coalesce around ideals, not anger and amorphousness,” says Mr Bigambo.
Protesters who thronged the streets of Kisii town on June 25, 2025 during protests in memory of those who were killed in the 2024 Gen Z protests.
Photo credit: Wycliffe Nyaberi | Nation Media Group
Speaking at the launch of the Young Captains, a wing of the ODM Women League comprising young women from higher education institutions, ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna said that the party has decided to take a keen interest in young people, in contrast to the past when decisions were made with no consideration for their lived realities.
“They are eager to register as voters so their voice can be heard loud and clear. Their renewed political interest is amazing,” said Mr Sifuna.
Analysis of the 2019 Census data by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics shows that most Gen Z will have reached voting age by 2027. Four in five of them, totalling over 14 million, will be eligible to vote, representing a 79.4 per cent increase in this age group compared to those old enough to register in 2022, when President William Ruto was elected on a platform of youth economic empowerment. Kenyans aged 18 to 34 will number 17.8 million, reflecting the predominant role they will play in determining the country’s political future from 2027 onwards.
Participants follows proceeding with a hawk on his head during the Gen-Z Shujaaz Memorial concert on July 7, 2024 at Uhuru Park in Nairobi.
Photo credit: Photo | Billy Ogada| Narion
In the 2022 elections, a total of 22.1 million people were registered to vote, but only 14.3 million turned up to vote, meaning close to eight million people did not participate in the election.
A report by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission revealed that youth turnout in 2022 was notably low. The same report showed that 8,811,691 of the registered voters were aged between 18 and 34 years, constituting 40 per cent of the total number of voters.
As Kenya prepares for elections in under two years, Gen Z is slowly breaking the over-reliance on traditional rallies or television spots. Success may now hinge more on digital nuance.
