Raila: The government knows the sponsors of goons who ‘hijacked’ Gen – Zs demos
By Harun Mugambi
In a press release issued today from Capitol Hill Square, Raila Odinga condemned the actions of criminals masquerading as protesters.
He has emphasized the distinction between the initial peaceful demonstrations led by young Kenyans and the subsequent chaos caused by those with malicious intent.
“What started as an expression of disaffection with the government by young Kenyans through peaceful protests and presentation of petitions to authorities degenerated into chaos and mayhem yesterday,” Odinga has stated.
He has also noted that the original protests, spearheaded by Generation Z, were conducted in an orderly manner but were later hijacked by individuals engaging in looting, attacks on innocent people, and destruction of infrastructure.
Odinga has highlighted reports of women being harassed and raped in various parts of the country, underscoring the severity of the situation.
He has expressed his deep sympathy for the families affected by these acts of violence and the business owners whose premises were vandalized and looted.
“The scenes of people looting, vandalizing, and robbing were way different from what was witnessed at the start of the protests when the Gen Z were in complete control of the process and its programs,” remarked Odinga.
He has further reiterated his condemnation of police brutality against peaceful protesters and called for accountability and civility from security officers during demonstrations.
Odinga has condemned the criminal acts seen on television and experienced by people across the country, stressing that the young protesters aimed to address injustices peacefully and educate the public on civil and effective protest methods.
He has labelled the hijacking of these protests by criminals as a double betrayal of the youth.
“The bad manners have to be stopped,” Odinga has declared, urging for immediate action against those responsible for the violence and mayhem.
Raila has maintained a firm call for the preservation of peaceful protest as a means to achieve social and political goals without descending into chaos and criminality.
