Who is Gen Z Baddie? The outspoken teacher behind Kenya’s viral youth politics

Waweru studied Chemistry and Mathematics at Mount Kenya University, enrolling in 2020, and later taught at Moi Forces Academy-Lanet in Nakuru under the government’s teacher internship programme.

She has said she earned about Sh20,000 before tax and left after her one-year internship was extended to two years.

That background gives context to some of the issues she now talks about online, particularly jobs, government and the frustrations facing young Kenyans.

The 2024 upheaval

Waweru says politics had interested her long before she became famous online.

She has recalled organising mock leadership structures as a primary-school pupil and serving as a prefect in secondary school.

Her public profile changed during the 2024 Maandamano, when a video she posted went viral.

The protests, initially driven by opposition to the Finance Bill, drew large numbers of young Kenyans into street and online activism.

For Waweru, social media became the place where that political interest found an audience.

The 'Gen Z Baddie' tag

Her style is part of the appeal.

Rather than speaking in the formal language associated with traditional political commentary, she uses the shorthand, humour and directness familiar to younger social-media audiences.

Her content has covered governance, constitutional issues, elections, accountability and youth participation, while appearances on platforms such as NTV’s Fixing the Nation and The RoundTable Podcast have widened her reach beyond TikTok and X.

The nickname became the public identity.

The politics underneath it became more serious with time.

From posting to organizing

In 2026, Waweru moved beyond commentary with #TukoKadi, a youth-led campaign encouraging Kenyans to register as voters ahead of the 2027 election.

She also promoted Register na Mbogi, urging young people to visit registration centres together.

That was an important change in method.

Social media was no longer the destination.

It was the organising tool.

Waweru has since taken a formal role in Linda Mwananchi, where she has been identified as the movement’s national youth chair.

She has also openly aligned herself with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and participated in the movement’s grassroots political activities.

The dark side of visibility

Being outspoken online has also brought backlash.

In August 2026, Waweru apologised over remarks concerning Charlene Ruto’s engagement ceremony, deleted the video and said mentors within Linda Mwananchi had advised her to be more mindful of the reach and responsibility that came with her platform.

It was a reminder that the same platform that can turn a teacher into a national political voice can amplify a mistake just as quickly.

Still, a work in progress

Waweru’s political career is young.

She has moved from the classroom to protest-era social media, from commentary to voter registration drives and, now, into organised youth politics.

That progression is what makes her story worth watching.