Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has warned that organised criminal groups are exploiting Gen Z-led demonstrations to cause chaos and destruction across the country.
Speaking during an official visit to Nakuru County on Friday, Kagwe said while peaceful protests are protected under the Constitution, recent incidents of vandalism and looting point to the work of criminals—not genuine demonstrators.
“It is not our children. It’s not the Gen Z demonstrators who were doing those things. That is terrorism, not the work of Gen Z. Don’t be misled,” said Kagwe.
He called on citizens to stay vigilant and protect public and private property, noting that criminals are using the protests as cover to loot, attack public buildings, and disrupt livelihoods.
Kagwe urged the Ministry of Interior to act swiftly to ensure that criminal elements do not hijack the movement. He gave an example of the recent attack on National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) facilities in Maua, Meru County, and destruction of police stations, saying such acts were clearly planned by organised gangs.
“Were your children the ones who vandalised Maua or police stations? That wasn’t them,” he said.
The CS emphasized that demonstrations should be peaceful and orderly, citing other countries where protests happen regularly without any destruction of property.
“Demonstrations are fine. They are protected by the Constitution. In countries like France, people protest almost every day, but they don’t destroy anything,” Kagwe noted.
He added that the right to protest should not be used as an excuse for lawlessness and warned that allowing criminals to take advantage of civic expression could threaten the very democracy the protesters are trying to uphold.
“We must make sure that criminals do not hide behind our children to destroy what we have built. This is not politics—it’s about protecting our democracy from becoming anarchy,” he said.
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