Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has urged the youthful protesters, primarily from Generation Z, to desist from continuing the nationwide demonstrations that have significantly impacted the country over the past month.
Speaking at a church service at PCEA in Kayole, Nairobi, Gachagua highlighted that the protests have been infiltrated by criminals, leading to property destruction and chaos. He assured that President William Ruto’s administration has acknowledged the demands of Gen Z and will need time to address them.
“To our children, please we plead with you that you don’t need to rub it in, it’s enough. We thank you for your patriotism in saying that there are problems facing our country and you have made a huge contribution but let’s not allow your agitation to be hijacked by criminals,” he said.
Kenya is experiencing unprecedented events with one of the largest and most unconventional protests in recent history. The demonstrations, primarily led by youths leveraging technology, were sparked by the controversial Finance Bill 2024, which proposed raising an additional Ksh.323 billion through increased taxes.
This led to widespread public outcry, with peaceful marches demanding the bill’s withdrawal and an end to corruption.
The protests extended across 25 counties, with some protestors even breaching the heavily guarded parliament building. However, the demonstrations were marred by instances of police brutality, resulting in fatalities, as well as by looters who exploited the chaos to destroy property and conduct theft.
In response, President Ruto has introduced several austerity measures to address youth grievances, although the calls for his resignation persist. A new protest is scheduled for Tuesday, July 23, as posters circulate online urging continued demonstrations.
President Ruto has alleged that foreign organizations, including the Ford Foundation, are behind the protests and has called on the protest organizers to disclose their identities and provide constructive alternatives for the country’s future.
“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,” Ruto said in a church service in Bomet on Sunday.
