Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has criticised the government over reports that a concert organised by the Tuko Kadi team was blocked from accessing Uhuru Park.
In a statement posted on X on Saturday morning, Matiang’i termed the incident as “deeply troubling,” raising concerns over what he described as growing intolerance and state interference.
He warned that such actions risk undermining key constitutional freedoms, including expression, assembly and enterprise.
“The reported blocking of the Tuko Kadi concert team from accessing Uhuru Park, despite months of compliance with all required approvals, is deeply troubling,” he said.
“It reflects a worrying pattern of intolerance and state interference that undermines the freedoms of expression, assembly, and enterprise.”
Matiang’i further cautioned that the disruption of what he described as lawful, youth-driven initiatives raises questions about the country’s democratic direction.
“When lawful, youth-driven initiatives are frustrated in this manner, it raises serious concerns about the direction we are taking as a country,” he said.
The former CS called for increased civic awareness and mobilisation, particularly among young people, as the country approaches the next elections.
“This moment calls for renewed civic awareness, sustained mobilisation, and deliberate civic education, especially among our young people,” he stated.
He also questioned the fairness of the democratic space if events that have followed due process can be blocked.
“If public events that follow due process can be arbitrarily blocked, then we must begin to ask hard questions about the fairness of our democratic space as we approach the next elections,” he said.
Matiang’i emphasised the need to uphold the rule of law and protect opportunities for all Kenyans saying that Kenya must be a nation where rules are respected, opportunities are protected, and every voice is allowed to be heard.
The Tuko Kadi online initiative was started last month by a group of youths to mobilise new voters to participate in the just concluded Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
The process ran from March 30, 2026, to April 28, 2026, targeting new voters and updates for the 2027 General Election.
