Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua praised Generation Z for heeding his call to embrace dialogue, noting the absence of major issues in Mount Kenya following his appeal. Speaking in Maragua, Murang’a County, on Saturday, Gachagua urged the youth to cancel next week’s planned protests to allow room for discussions.
”I am thankful, at least when I made an address and asked our young people to stop protests and violence after the president rejected the Finance Bill, they listened to me and especially in our Mount Kenya region there were no issues,” Gachagua said.
“I want again to all Kenyans while here in Murang’a now that the president has agreed for dialogue, let us cool down and bring our issues to the table.”
The DP on Wednesday addressed the nation from Mombasa and called for dialogue moments after President William Ruto said he had listened to the people’s voice and rejected the Finance Bill, 2024.
Gachagua then claimed that the Director General of the National Intelligence had allegedly prepared fake intel reports linking him to the planning of the chaos.
On Saturday, Gachagua said the young people must be given an audience as they cannot be ruled under the old-age tactics of dictatorship and force.
“Our young people, we have heard you, we will engage you, you have some valid points, we will also share with you what we know, we put it together with what you are suggesting and come up with the best formula,” Gachagua said at a fundraiser for school children.
“This is our country and we have no other country please, I have seen on social media it is also next week, let us abandon that.”
The DP said that the President has already started engagements to consult leaders of all shades to build consensus on the contentious issues and craft the best way out.
”Yesterday he met the catholic bishops and listened to them, today he has met the AIPCA bishops and he has listened to them as well, it is good because the church is the conscience of the nation,” Gachagua said.
“Now that the president has started those engagements with the church leaders, I know we will have a good country, I do not doubt in my mind that our president has heard the people of Kenya and he has started the process of consultation.”
