This thesis explores how young people in Nairobi, Kenya, navigate a daily reality shaped by corruption, while simultaneously seeking to challenge it. Focusing on participants in the so-called Gen Z protests during the summer of 2024, the study examines how social norms and a lack of institutional trust shape both resistance and compliance. The aim has been to understand how youth describe their experience with everyday corruption, as well as how they perceive their possibilites and limitations when it comes to taking action. Through a qualitative field study involving ten semi-structured interviews, the material is analyzed using Social Norm Theory and Collective Action Theory. 

The findings reveal a duality: Corruption is seen as morallyw wrong, yet often necessary in order to navigate a system that fails to protect ordinary citizens. Still, several participants demonstrate that resistance is possible, through digital activism, protest. and solidarity. The study concludes that even within a context of deep distrust, seeds of transformation are emerging. These young voices show that even small acts can challenge what is seen as normal, and potentially pave the way for new norms and future hope.