During a thanksgiving service at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on Sunday, President William Ruto criticized leaders of the anti-government protests for pursuing personal interests at the expense of people’s property. He urged leaders to avoid putting the lives and businesses of Kenyans in danger and to seek other avenues to achieve their objectives.
President Ruto emphasized that even as leaders pursue their interests, they cannot jeopardize the interests of the people they serve.
President Ruto questioned why the leaders would destroy people’s property and Kenyan businesses while searching for their rights as leaders.
He urged the leaders to take advantage of the bipartisan talks scheduled to take place in parliament and allow him to fulfill his mandate to Kenyans. He further emphasized that political dialogue cannot be achieved through demonstrations but through sensible talks.
President Ruto called on Ukambani leaders to support the government in delivering services to citizens and vowed to ease the economic burden on the nation in the future.
The Raila Odinga-led Azimio la Umoja coalition began their anti-government protests on March 20, which turned violent, prompting President Ruto to urge Mr. Odinga to call off the protests and engage in bipartisan talks to air their grievances.
Azimio la Umoja wants President Ruto to address issues such as inflated food, fuel, and electricity prices, and the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
The government and the opposition have since appointed seven-member teams to spearhead the conversations, even as both sides stand firm on the basis of the engagements.
However, Azimio la Umoja claims that the government has already started sidelining some of their grievances, making the talks pointless.
