The “crazy” things our Gen Z do are no different from what we, our parents or grandparents did. My grandpa, for one, thought my father was an idiot for buying furniture instead of cattle. My father thought I was a numbskull for spending the equivalent of five months' pay on a music system instead of, wait for it, buying cattle! Mark you, clean-shaven I, who once pranced around with a bushy afro to my father’s chagrin, couldn’t stand the strings my son carried around on his head. 

A more fitting legacy would be to immortalize Raila Odinga's thoughts and ideas in books, libraries, documentaries and films.

The youthful generation is yearning for information, as times have shown that everyone needs to be updated to avoid making the mistakes that our forefathers made when they were colonised and made to think that they couldn’t think on their own or make sane decisions. 

Social media has been transformative. It’s allowing Africans to reclaim stories in real-time—whether it’s TikTokers teaching indigenous languages or Instagram creators reviving ancient textile traditions. Technology is helping bypass traditional gatekeepers, making it easier to tell our stories from our perspective.

The challenging aspect of children’s books, says Robert Dersley, is timing. One can throw so much love into the illustrations it can never end. 

Flipping through the pages of After 4.30, you’ll find yourself seated beside Emili, Lili, and Beti, women who feel eerily familiar. Women you might recognise. As you read, faces come to mind; some alive, some lost.