President William Ruto has urged the leaders of recent protests to present alternative solutions for guiding the country forward instead of resorting to demonstrations. Speaking during a church service in Bomet County, he warned that his government would stay resolute in protecting the country from descending into chaos.
President Ruto accused the protests of being sponsored and called on the sponsors to come forward and provide clear direction for the nation. He described the protests as involving “anonymous, faceless, formless” individuals using violence to exert control.
“We must never as a country agree to replace our democracy with a dictatorship and tyranny of faceless anonymous people who want to use violence, destruction of property and loss of lives in place of our democracy,” the president said.
“We must guard the peace and stability of our nation and democracy of our country so that it is not undermined and sabotaged by anonymous faceless formless sponsored people who want to use violence and anarchy and mayhem to control our nation.”
He assured the public that his administration would protect their lives and properties against those propagating violence.
“As a government we are going to be firm, determined to protect this country from the tyranny of violence mayhem and anarchy. We are going to protect life and property. I want to challenge those orchestrating and funding this violence to step forward and give us their alternative views on how to take Kenya forward,” he added.
“They must not remain anonymous, formless or faceless, they must step forward and tell us beyond anarchy and violence, what are their alternative plans for Kenya. I challenge the shadowy people, faceless people to step forward to tell us if they have alternative views to take this country forward.
We cannot surrender our democracy to faceless, formless anonymous anarchists who want to use violence to destroy our country.”
The president’s remarks come amid a wave of anti-government protests that have significantly impacted the country. These unprecedented demonstrations have prompted the government to implement several austerity measures to address the demands of the youth.
The protests, which have been ongoing for a month, are scheduled to continue on Tuesday, July 23, an event dubbed “The Final Revolution Fixing the Nation.”
The protests began on June 18, 2024, with calls from the younger generation for the repeal of the Finance Bill 2024, greater transparency and accountability from the government, and the enforcement of austerity measures to reflect the current economic conditions.
However, President Ruto has suggested that entities such as the Ford Foundation may be involved in sponsoring the protests, indicating a divergence in his approach to addressing the issues raised.
“Nataka niulize watu wa Ford Foundation watuambie hio pesa wanatoa, wanatoa ifanye fujo ndio wapate faida gani?” he said in Nakuru on Monday, July 15.
This was followed by a letter drafted by Foreign Affairs PS Korir SingOei demanding from Ford Foundation a list of all beneficiaries of grants between April 2023 and May 2024.
In a rejoinder, Ford Foundation denied the accusations and maintained that they uphold a non-partisan policy when issuing grants. They, however, supported Kenyans’ right to peacefully protest.
“We repudiate any actions or speech that are hateful or advocate violence against any institution, individual, or community,” the foundation said.
