The 25 June protests were your typical Kenyan demonstrations, marred with violence, looting and loss of life as well as injuries to many. But there was something very unique about their nature that must not be lost for the reason that it has forever changed the dynamics of how Kenyan politics will shape moving forward.
Destruction of property, looting, loss of life and all forms of violence must not be condoned during demonstrations and Kurunzi News calls for swift investigations with a view to bringing the culprits to book.
The fact the numbers witnessed were historical in nature and that no mainstream politician superintended the mobilization of the participants speaks volumes about how Kenya’s political landscape has changed and there is no going back to the old days when there would be no citizens’ mobilization for a cause as this without a name of a big politician. This could be the reason we are seeing the kind of reactions we are seeing because of the disbelief that citizens can mobilize themselves to the extent witness on 25th.
More significantly is the fact that they happened in 27 of the country’s 47 counties, including the backyard of the current president.
However, the reactions from the regime, its apologists, sympathizers and operatives are what should concern those who love Kenya even more. What is more disturbing is that a section of the political and social fabric is working so hard to convince the world that a certain class of politicians led by impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua were trying to overthrow the government.
From Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s address at Harambee House to the presentations of legislators in the National Assembly, including ODM members, a stranger in the Jerusalem called Kenya would think Gachagua is a warlord and a man who runs a militia that he has deployed in his quest to stage a coup against a democratically elected government.
Yet, the fact remains that the mobilization and organization of the demonstrations were planned by the Gen Zs through social media and there was every indication that this lot of citizens is one that does not fall for the blackmail of the predecessor generations that is awed by the aura of challenging power or even defying those in high offices.
Even more intriguing is the fact that the government has invested billions of taxpayer monies into a national intelligence system that should be on top of its game in advising those in power about the veracity of messages and signals as were awash on social media about the turnout for Wednesday’s demos. Against such overwhelming evidence of the young Kenyans pledging to come out in their numbers and declaring they were ready to die for their country, the CS for interior comes out to tell the world that some politician planned a coup and all they could do was to wait until everything went down then make the remarks he made.
It is even worse when the political class wants to relegate such a serious demonstration of national disgruntlement by the citizens who feel oppressed by the executive, which is being cheered on by an emasculated legislature and a frustrated judiciary, to a question of one tribe fighting the government because they have been “left out of government”.
Nothing could best exemplify the incompetence of a regime than the reactions we have seen from those whose job it is to guarantee national security. These sentiments from those speaking for the government show that they are in slumber and bitten by the dictatorship bug to have the confidence of a fool in self-preservation antics whose end is destruction in the hands of a woke citizenry that has vowed to no longer take mediocrity from those exercising power on behalf of the people.
If this government does not wake up to smell the coffee, change its ways and start doing the right things then it might as well be conclusive to say that the gods have made them mad as they prepare to destroy them because there would be no logical explanation as to why they would be blaming Gachagua for the success of the demos from a numbers’ perspective when everything is crystal clear as to who was behind the protests.
