Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki has clarified a statement he made in 2020, where he appeared to suggest that administrative shortcomings under former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government could lead to widespread conflict in Kenya.
Kindiki made these remarks while addressing the Senate during his tenure as Tharaka Nithi Senator. He drew parallels between Uhuru’s administration and that of the Biblical king, Belshazzar.
Belshazzar, historically known as the son of Nabonidus and grandson of the great Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, was noted for his arrogance. Upon assuming kingship during a period of severe famine and external threats from the Persian empire, Belshazzar famously held a lavish banquet in his own honor instead of attending to the kingdom’s critical needs.
Due to his hubris, Babylon fell swiftly to the Persian empire in a single night.
“Instead of being grateful that God had honored him among millions of citizens to be their leader, he entertained a government that was so divisive and oppressive. The Bible says he made a feast where he entertained other important people. He even committed sacrilege by using utensils taken from the temple of Jerusalem,” said Kindiki on the floor of the House then.
“Mr. Speaker, as they were enjoying and making merry. As the deep state and system was celebrating, suddenly, there is going to be a war in this country, there is going to be a writing on the wall.”
Speaking on Citizen TV’s ‘Tonight’ show on Thursday, Kindiki clarified that when he made the remarks he said “wall” and not “war” in reference to Belshazzar’s Biblical story.
According to the Book of Daniel, when Belshazzar and the ruling elite were fornicating and praising false gods at the aforesaid banquet, a human hand appeared and inscribed the words ‘Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin,’ on the wall, which roughly translates to ‘God has numbered the days of your kingdom; you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.’
“There are two differences between my speech in 2020 and what happened in June 25th (anti-government demos when Kenyans raided Parliament). The first difference of course is that towards the end of that clip, I said that there is going to be a ‘wall’; not war but wall…because I was talking about the writing on the wall,” the Interior boss said.
Reflecting on the recent anti-government demos, Kindiki asserted that it is imperative for the State to consider the perspectives and grievances of Kenyans who took to the streets in protest of the ruling Kenya Kwanza regime.
“It is the right of Kenyans to tell the government what they think about that government. That is the basis of democracy. Displeasure, disapproval, disaffection all those things are democratic,” he said.
“Citizens telling their government that they think government officials are living large is within their rights. We are listening and as you have seen from the President’s interview on Sunday and subsequent communications, the government is not only committed to listen to the people of Kenya are saying but to implement every viable solution that can make our country better.”
