Respect must go both ways, Kindiki tells Gen Z, elders

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has urged young people to show respect for authority and the elderly, saying this is not just a cultural value but a key to building stronger lives and better futures.

Speaking during the National Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday at the Safari Park Hotel, Kindiki called on the youth to allow themselves to be mentored by older generations. He said that while young people are powerful and full of potential, they must be open to guidance that comes from life experience.

“We respectfully request our children also to respect authority and also agree to be mentored and supported so that mutually, even as we respect them, hear them, and apologise, they should equally respect older people, even if not for any other reason. There are things you will only learn in the school of life,” Kindiki said.

He emphasised that no formal education can teach some of the important lessons that life itself can offer. According to him, mentorship from those who have lived through more can give young people an even stronger foundation.

“As much as we agree with the need for us to reconcile and build relations with our children, we request our children to also realise there is a role we can play not necessarily by science or the things they know but a few tips that could make their powerful lives more powerful,” he said.

Kindiki made the remarks shortly after the keynote address by preacher and former NFL player Rickey Allen Bolden, who said that Generation Z craves love and respect, and should not be treated like children.

“Gen Z are dying to be loved, they are dying to be respected. They have grown up, gone to college. Some of the Gen Zs are smarter than we are ... One of the worst things that can happen for a Gen Z is to treat them like children,” Rickey said.

Kindiki praised Rickey’s message, describing it as “inspirational.” He admitted that older generations may have at times contributed to the frustration felt by younger people.

“The message of today's speaker was quite inspirational and perhaps as older people we need to treat our children who are now adults a little more respectfully, listen to them and where we go wrong there is no harm in acknowledging that we've not treated them maybe the way they expected us,” he said.

He, however, insisted that despite the challenges, respect should always come first. “As older people, we need to treat our children with more respect, and when we go wrong, we should be willing to acknowledge it. However, our children must also respect authority and be open to mentorship.”

Kindiki also touched on recent political tensions in neighbouring countries and said moments like the prayer breakfast should be used to promote peace and unity. “I hope that, in light of some of the recent exchanges we've witnessed among political leaders in our immediate neighbourhood, we can use a moment like this to help arrest the situation. It doesn’t look tidy when brothers and sisters are talking at each other,” he said.

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