Kenyan Music Icons Nameless & Jua Cali Laud Gen Z’s Bold Stand For Accountability

Veteran Kenyan musicians Nameless and Jua Cali have voiced their strong admiration and support for the current generation of youth, popularly known as Gen Z, for their fearless pursuit of accountability and change. Both artists, speaking from their own experiences and perspectives as parents and public figures, praised the youth for their unprecedented boldness in addressing societal issues, both online and through street protests.

In a recent interview with Radio47, Nameless, who is a parent to a Gen Z, expressed immense pride in today’s youth for their direct approach, a stark contrast to how such matters were typically handled in previous generations. “We are so behind the Gen Z movement of asking for accountability. I think a lot of times watu hawakua na chance ya kufanya hivo [people didn’t have a chance to do that], but now from online to the streets, people are now saying this has been going on for too long, it needs to stop. So this makes me proud,” the ‘Why Lie’ hitmaker affirmed.

While admiring their bravery, Nameless urged future generations to continue stepping forward with renewed courage, pledging his unwavering support for their efforts. “This generation is now pushing it even further, and they are braver than we were,” he noted. “But we need that. Every generation needs to come with new courage, and keep going, so we are behind them all the way.”

Adding to this sentiment, Genge music pioneer Jua Cali asserted that it is “natural” for Gen Z to demand accountability, viewing their actions as a fight for their own future.

“It is only natural wabehave hivo [that they behave that way]. Si ati ni story ya vita, it is only natural [It’s not about conflict, it’s just natural],” he explained. “Mi naeza kumbuka tukiwa young, tulikua na hizi dreams za kua hapa.We had a future mbele yetu. But pia hao wakona hii future, but wanaona hii future iko oblique. So it’s only right wabehave hivo, but responsibly.”

(I remember when we were young, we had these dreams of being here. We had a future ahead of us. But they also have this future, but they see this future as bleak. So it’s only right they behave that way, but responsibly.) His comments underscore a shared understanding that the youth’s activism stems from a genuine concern for their prospects.

The artists’ public endorsements highlight a growing recognition and appreciation from older generations for the digital-native youth who are leveraging their platforms to drive significant social and political discourse in Kenya.