Rhetorical Navigation of Uncertainty: The Art of Political Persuasion in President Ruto’s Response to the Gen-Z Crisis on X

Abstract: This paper explores the rhetorical strategies employed by President William Ruto to address the Gen-Z crisis and foster a narrative of hope and resilience amidst socio-political turmoil. While existing research on political rhetoric is abundant, there is a notable lack of focused studies on the application of Aristotelian rhetorical appeals within Kenyan political discourse, particularly during crises. Moreover, given its recent occurrence, there is insufficient analysis of the Gen-Z crisis in Kenya from a discourse and sociolinguistic perspective. The study is guided by two questions: 1) What rhetorical strategies does President William Ruto utilize in his interaction with Gen Z? and 2) What are the perceived impacts of these rhetorical strategies on Gen Z and the Kenyan public in general? The study utilized Aristotle's rhetorical theory, anchored in Norman Fairclough’s three-tier approach to critical discourse analysis as its main analytical framework. Thematic analysis is employed to uncover patterns in rhetorical strategies and their implications. This research contributes to the fields of political com¬munication, sociolinguistics, and discourse analysis by shedding light on the rhetorical strategies of a modern African leader. Keywords: crisis communication, discourse analysis, Gen-Z crisis, political persuasion, rhetoric.