Tom Mukhwana - Gen Z Activism

In this third episode of Panel 54, investigative journalist Tom Mukhwana joins Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh for a sharp, unfiltered conversation on Gen Z activism across Africa. From Nigeria’s #EndSARS to Kenya’s anti-finance bill protests and South Africa’s Fees Must Fall, we explore how a digital first generation is reshaping the idea of youth power.

Are social led movements a genuine political force or just algorithm-driven moments? We unpack why digital protest doesn’t always become political change, how Gen-Z became the unofficial opposition, and whether leaderless movements are a feature or a flaw.

Mukhwana draws from years covering corruption and human rights to explain the tensions between voice, visibility, and lasting impact and why some movements risk being co-opted or steered by foreign powers, unseen political actors, or digital operatives who understand the algorithm better than the activists do. From civic education to strategy and survival, this episode confronts the myth of the social media saviour and the blurred line between resistance and manipulation.

This is Panel 54 , a global perspective through an African lens.

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