Kenyan president says protests must stop

Andrew Wasik
Monday, July 22, 2024

Kenyan President William Ruto said on Sunday that the ongoing protests in the country must stop.

“I want to assure you that this will stop, enough is enough,” Ruto said after attending a church service in Bomet county, Rift Valley province, about 224 kilometres (139 miles) west of Nairobi.

Ruto said: “In the future we will defend the country, protect lives, protect property, stop looting, stop killers, stop chaos and anarchy, because Kenya is a democratic country, we want peace and stability in the country, because our problems will be solved through democratic means.”

He said his government had already made major concessions to the demands of the “leaderless and faceless” Generation Z protesters, including vetoing the 2024 Finance Bill and disbanding almost the entire Cabinet.

Despite these actions, protests continue.

“They said we should not pass the finance bill and I gave up and then I called them and they said they did not want to come and negotiate with me,” Ruto said.

“Protesters are still saying they have no face, no image. I have given everyone a chance to express their thoughts. This cannot go on. The country is much more important than any group,” he said.

On July 19, Ruto nominated the first 11 cabinet members, starting the process of forming a new cabinet.

In the new cabinet, Ruto retained six of the original 22 cabinet ministers and nominated five new members for consideration and approval by the National Assembly.

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga said in a statement on Sunday that any dialogue must prioritize justice and put forward several demands, including compensation for victims of police “brutality”, the dropping of cases related to the protests and the release of detainees.

Odinga proposed a national dialogue involving different representatives to address issues such as governance, high cost of living, tribalism, corruption and fiscal management.

Ruto’s government has come under intense scrutiny following weeks of violent demonstrations that have left at least 50 people dead and extensive property damage, with young people vowing to protest again on Tuesday and demanding Ruto’s resignation.

The Kenyan government has issued a warning to the US-based Ford Foundation, accusing the group of funding the recent deadly anti-government protests that have swept the country.