Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i has issued a powerful statement in support of thousands of youth-led demonstrators who today poured into streets across the country to commemorate the first anniversary of the June 25, 2024 protests, and to honour those who lost their lives during the unrest.
In a public statement released Wednesday, Matiang’i lauded the “young active citizens” for exercising their constitutional right to protest, calling their demands for justice, accountability, and reform “valid and deeply felt.” The protests last year were sparked by widespread outrage over the Finance Bill 2024, rising taxation, government inefficiencies, and the shrinking of public funding for education.
“I fully associate myself with the sentiments that they expressed,” Matiang’i declared. “I urge the government not to harden its heart but to genuinely listen to the citizens’ cry for justice and reform.”
The former minister also made a passionate appeal to law enforcement officers across the country, urging them to exercise restraint and to avoid confronting peaceful protests with force.
“Do not turn your weapons on your fellow citizens,” he said. “It is only through dialogue and a genuine willingness to listen that we will find a path to peaceful resolution and the restoration of calm in our beloved nation.”
His remarks come amid heightened tensions and a fresh wave of demonstrations, with Gen Z protestors rallying under banners of justice and good governance, and holding vigils for those who died during last year’s clashes.
Matiang’i offered condolences to the bereaved families, describing the deaths as “tragic and unfortunate.” He concluded his statement with a call for unity, urging leaders and citizens to look beyond political divides and “fix what is broken” in order to secure a just and inclusive future for Kenya.
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