Mr Billy Mwangi, who shot to prominence after being abducted by government security agents and held incommunicado for over two weeks, has declared he will contest the Embu senatorial seat in the 2027 General Election.
His entry into active politics is driven by the desire to demonstrate that Gen Zs can lead by integrity and ensure good governance, he said.
Billy Mwangi who has been missing since Saturday after being abducted by unknown people.
Photo credit: Pool
Born in Embu town 26 years ago, the fourth-year university student who is pursuing a degree in Criminology and Security Management is determined to clinch the seat and be the voice of the youth, whom he claims lack proper representation.
"I believe that Gen Zs are leaderless and they need a strong and bold person to lead and fiercely fight for their rights," he said in an interview on Tuesday.
Championing Youth Rights and Governance
The soft-spoken but bold Mr Mwangi vowed to push for the enactment of laws which will safeguard the lives of young people and empower them economically if he wins.
"I think currently there are no laws that properly protect the youth and that is why they are being killed as they demand their rights," he said.
He continued, "We also need laws which support youth entrepreneurship since the existing ones don't properly address funding for youth enterprises. There is a need to distinguish between groups of youth and individuals, which is lacking in the existing funding models,” he said.
Asked whether the Gen Zs were going overboard with their criticism of the state, Mr Mwangi said there was nothing wrong with calling out the government.
"The youth are justified, it is their right to point out the government’s faults as long as they don't engage in violence and destruction of property. Gen Zs should not fear to exercise their freedom of expression, but their protests should be peaceful," he said.
Billy Mwangi who has been missing since Saturday after being abducted by unknown people.
Photo credit: Pool
Abduction: A Catalyst for Change
Mr Mwangi was abducted on December 21 last year at a barber's shop in Embu while waiting to be shaved.
The security agents who were driving in a double-cabin vehicle pulled up at the shop, grabbed Mr Mwangi and bundled him into the car.
He was blindfolded and whisked off to an unknown place where he was locked up in a dark room and tortured.
A few metres from the scene of abduction, Mr Mwangi's phone was switched off, and it became difficult for his family to trace him.
“They held me incommunicado for 17 days and I went through hell in the hands of the abductors. I am yet to recover from the trauma because to-date, I have never been told what I did wrong. At one point I will demand compensation together with my colleagues who underwent the same mistreatment," he said.
Billy Munyiri Mwangi, 24, a college student who was abducted in Embu.
Photo credit: Pool
He, however, said he forgave his abductors, although he will not forget the suffering he went through.
Mr Mwangi thanked the Manyatta MP, Gitonga Mukunji, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and residents who piled pressure on the government to have him released.
"If these people didn't raise an alarm I think something worse could have happened to me," he said.
"The abduction gave me prominence and people from Embu county refer to me as a hero. However, this came at a price because my encounter with the abductors was a painful experience," he said.
After being released, Mwangi said he closed his Twitter account after it was hacked, which he plans to activate once he makes his political plans known.
Mr Mwangi also says he is consulting widely before deciding on the political party on whose ticket he will run for the seat.
"I will be very careful because I don't want to make a mistake about the party. I will consult the people of Embu and leaders of political parties so that I don’t disappoint my supporters," he added.
Concerning his participation in Wednesday’s demonstrations to mark the Gen Z uprising against the 2024 Finance Bill, Mr Mwangi said he did not wish to comment on it, adding: “Several people have asked me whether I will participate but I am keeping my plans private because of my own security.”[email protected]
