As the Gen Z conversation continues to dominate the Kenyan political psyche, four months after nationwide protests erupted, it appears like some of the young men and women who furiously flooded the streets are now also in the courtrooms.
A video of a Gen Z lawyer, addressing a panel of judges at the Gachagua impeachment hearings, has gone viral on X, with many Kenyans reacting to the manner in which the young advocate addresses the bench.
As he tries to make his case, the unidentified lawyer goes a little off-script, calling the judges ‘You Guys’ – a popular euphemism used in everyday conversations amongst youthful Kenyans.
Without batting an eyelid, the lawyer soldiered on with his argument, saying, “… Rights to fair trial, even including during this process. To preserve the few days that you guys will be handling the matter, the status quo be maintained because it’s crucial for public interest.”
At this juncture, a lawyer sitting just across him stands to correct him, pointing out, “Judges are not guys…”
The Gen Z lawyer then immediately realizes his mistake, saying, “My apologies. Your lordships and your ladyships…”As he continues to mutter his apologies, the courtroom breaks into a lengthy laughter.
The lawyer’s seemingly unprofessional parlance soon ignited the internet, with Kenyans on X pointing out how, even in places as hallowed as courtrooms, the Gen Z could still manage to ruffle feathers and upend the modus operandi.
Sharing the short video on X, influencer Omwamba said, “Gen Z lawyers have finally reached in courtroom and they are calling judges “You Guys”….. ”
Reacting to the post, someone said, “But did they get the message or were they just focused on the slip of the tongue?”
Someone else commented, “They’re lucky he did not call his fellow lawyer, ‘You guy, My guy’ ….”
On her part, Caroline Mwende noted, “But ‘You Guys’ is a proper name for a collection of individuals with varied genders. I think it’s not inappropriate to call them that. People just love to overdramatise their statuses just to feed their egos.”
The Gachagua impeachment hearings have been ongoing for the last several days as lawyers from both sides face off in what has mostly narrowed down to dramatised exchanges from the so-called ‘Learned Friends’.
