#dearpresidentuhuru
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Nereya Otieno
Oct. 04, 2019 01:51PM EST
(Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)

Kenyan Youth Share Their Frustration With President Uhuru Kenyatta Using the #DearPresidentUhuru Hashtag

Social media has come alive today with #DearPresidentUhuru posts blasting the current government.

The Kenyan twitterverse is alive and well with the thoughts of its people. Today, many Kenyans took to the social media outlet to voice their displeasure at the actions–or lack thereof–of the country's president Uhuru Kenyatta. Their battle weapon? The hashtag #DearPresidentUhuru.

There have been growing tensions between the public and the president since he was sworn into office in 2013. The president ran a campaign that spoke to the youth and promised new jobs. In fact, some credit his election and re-election on the fact that he promised more work for Kenyan youth. That promise has fell through as an increasing number of small businesses are closing and the unemployment rate for youth aged 15-24 is a staggering 26.2 percent, according to a 2018 report from the UNDP. Earlier this week, two major sports betting firms SportPesa and Betin, announced they will leave Kenya in response to a tax raise on their operations. The closure of these two companies alone will result in an estimated 2,500 jobs lost.


While workforce is a main cause for concern for young Kenyans, they are also frustrated with the humanitarian efforts of the government under Uhuru's rule. A major point of contention is the lack of action government bodies took to rescue victims of a ferry accident in Likoni earlier this week. The accident resulted in the death of a 35-year-old woman and her four-year-old daughter, their bodies still have not been recovered.

The #DearPresidentUhuru posts are a direct look into the psyche of Kenya's young citizens. They vary from the serious and poignant to outright hilarious jabs at the administration. Check out some of them below.



















uhuru kenyatta kenya #dearpresidentuhuru
Music
Image: Nabsolute Media

Reekado Banks Recalls The Carnage of The #EndSARS Protests In Single 'Ozumba Mbadiwe'

The Nigerian singer pays his respects to those lost during last year's #EndSARS protests.

Nigerian singer and songwriter Reekado Banks is back with a track that is as socially important as it is a banger. It seems fitting for the singer's first solo release of the year to be a tribute to his fellow countrypeople fighting for a country that they all wish to live in. The 27-year-old Afrobeats crooner has returned with endearing track 'Ozumba Mbadiwe', honoring the one-year anniversary of the #EndSARS protests that saw the Nigerian government authorize an onslaught of attacks on Nigerian citizens for their anti-government demonstrations.

The protests took the world by storm, additionally because the Nigerian government insists that none of the police brutality happened. In an attempt to gaslight the globe, Nigerian officials have come out to hoards to deny any and all accusations of unlawfully killing peaceful protesters. Banks mentions the absurd denials in the track, singing "October 20, 2020 something happened with the government, they think say we forget," in the second verse. Reekado's reflective lyrics blend smoothly and are supported by the upbeat, effortless Afrobeat rhythm.

In another reflective shoutout to his home, 'Ozumba Mbadiwe' is named after a popular expressway on Lagos Island that leads to the infamous Lekki Toll Gate where protesters were shot at, traumatized, and murdered. Although packed with conscious references, the P.Priime produced track is a perfect amalgamation of the talents that Reekado Banks has to offer; a wispy opening verse, a hook to kill, and an ethereal aura to mark this as a song as a hit. On "Ozumba Mbadiwe," all the elements align for Reekado's signature unsinkable sound to take flight.

Check out Reekado Bank's lyric video for his single 'Ozumba Mbadiwe'

Reekado Banks - Ozumba Mbadiwe (Lyric Video) www.youtube.com

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