The day started wonderful for President Ruto. One of the bad guys was getting kidnapped in public and he was just about to have a big day with the Kenyan media to talk to the country. This was power.
It turned into a complete disaster for Ruto because of the realities in front of him including the videos of former MP Alfred Keter being abducted.
Keter and his wife explained how they were dramatically arrested on Sunday morning.
The wife said the incident had left their children traumatized.
He was taken and booked at Kamukunji police cells. Police said they will summon him for further grilling. The team involved in the drama said they staged the dramatic arrest after he allegedly resisted arrest.
Ruto Hosts 96 AIPCA Bishops For Talks On ‘Opportunities For Our Young People’
President William Ruto poses with religious leaders from the African Independent Pentecostal Church Africa at State House, Nairobi on June 29, 2024.
President Ruto’s media interview was just a complete hell for him and Kenyans really got to see who William Ruto is as a person and it was pathetic. The whole discussion focused on the young people the Ruto police have murdered across the country and President Ruto has no clue how to address that.
I have no blood on my hands, Ruto says on killed protesters
“I will give the mother of the 12 year-old an explanation of what happened.”
President William Ruto has sought to clear himself from any wrongdoing following the killing of more than 20 people during anti-Finance Bill protests.
Ruto insisted that only 19 lives were lost and not 24 as it is claimed by human rights organisations.
Speaking during an engagement with the media from State House Nairobi, said he has kept his promise that there would be no extra judicial killing in Kenya.
“I have no blood on my hands. 19 people to the record that I have been dead. Very unfortunate, as a democracy that should not be part of our conversation,” Ruto said when he was asked about what thinks about the lives that have been lost.
He, however, termed the deaths as unfortunate saying it should not happen in a democracy.
Ruto said property worth Sh2.4 billion was either destroyed or burned down during the protests.
Asked how he felt about the death of a 12-year-old boy in Rongai, Ruto said any life lost must bother everyone, including him.
“I will give the mother of the 12-year-old an explanation of what happened and make sure that we bring this to a situation where like myself who has children, her child can be accounted for,” he said.
He maintained that criminals took advantage of the protests to destroy property and burn Parliament and other critical government infrastructure.
I just saw the entire President Ruto press interview at State House to address the murders and chaos in the country. It is just brutal to watch that press interview and Kenyans have to give a lot of praise to the three media people who went head to head with William Ruto.
The biggest issue was about the Kenyans who Ruto police have killed in the last two weeks and William Ruto had no defense except to say that he does not control the police force. It was pitiful seeing Ruto trying to defend his murder of Kenyans. And then as the president was sitting there they had live videos of former MP Alfred Keter being abducted in broad daylight in Nairobi with his children screaming in despair.
President Ruto painted a bleak picture of the country’s future on Sunday, following the rejection of the proposed Finance Bill, 2024.
When it came to solutions, President Ruto had nothing to offer. Now we hear he wants to talk with the youth on X Spaces whatever that is and nobody including Ruto has any idea what solutions that will offer to address the practical issues raised by the youth on jobs and cost of living that will offer. Ruto wants a talk show then people can dance and all the problems the Kenyan youth have raised will just vanish. That is just silly.
The other solution Ruto has is to remove his budget for his wife’s office and that of DP and Mudavadi’s spouses’ budgets and everything will be solved. Even the idea that Ruto gave tons of money to his spouse and others is insane enough but trying to solve the economic problems in the country by just taking that back is nonsense. The economic problems the Kenyan youth have brought to the frontline are way bigger than those simplistic “solutions”.
I Am Ready To Engage Gen Z On X Spaces This Week, Ruto Says
President William Ruto now says he is willing to have a conversation with Kenyan youth on any platform of their choice, including on X Spaces.
In an exclusive interview with digital journalists at State House on Sunday evening, Ruto was asked if he would join X Spaces to engage the disgruntled youth, the majority of who are Generation Z.
“In the next one week, we must have this conversation in the space where you want. I am sending you guys, one of you to set up the space this week, maybe Thursday or Friday, why not? I will be there,” Ruto said.
The president further said the youth can choose the option of identifying a leader among them who will represent them, or decide how they want to engage him if they choose to be leaderless.
“When I suggested the multi-sectoral approach, I thought we were going to organise ourselves and this is how we are going to participate. And by the way, I wanted the whole of that set up to be about by young people; civil society, young people; religious organisations, young people; professional bodies, young people,” Ruto added.
He, however, suggested that it has been very difficult for him because he doesn’t know who to deal with.
“Whether it is Thursday, Friday… mkipangana mimi niko,” Ruto asserted.
The president has called for dialogue with the protesting youth to discuss pressing national matters, among them unemployment and the high cost of living.
A section of the youth, however, is calling for his resignation. Addressing these calls, Ruto said the youth know the process of removing a sitting president from office.
“You can either wait for an election or follow the procedures laid down by the constitution,” Ruto said.
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Monday, July 1, 2024 – First Lady Rachel Ruto, Second Lady Dorcas Gachagua, and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s wife, Tessie, have become the first casualties of the Gen Z revolution.
He noted that the decision was made after the anti-Finance Bill protests that led to his administration shelving the Finance Bill 2024.
“I know citizens have said there is no need for the office of the first lady and second lady but these are offices that have been there because we have to live within our means, those offices from tomorrow will not be part of our equation because in the face of what has happened, we have to trim down every other area,” the Head of State explained.
As Ruto fumbles everywhere looking for ways to fool Kenyans that he has solved all the problems the Kenyan youth have raised his MPs are facing trouble all over the country and even the president himself is facing mass protests as we have seen in Garissa and now just yesterday in Narok. This has never happened in our country even during the Moi dictatorship. The status quo for Ruto is not sustainable and he knows that more than anybody else.
Kenyans should accept the National Multi-Sectoral Forum (NMSF) Ruto has proposed with his magical 100 members or maybe it will be 1000 members we don’t know. But let the country take it and the main issue is to have Kenyans and mainly the youth set up the agenda for NMSF in their first week of meeting.
So what should be in that agenda?
How many Kenyans have been killed during the protests. NMSF must invite families and witnesses of Kenyans murdered during the protests to speak and provide evidence of crimes committed against their family members.
First item on that NMSF agenda has to be providing every family member of the victims with the opportunity to come before the NMSF in their meeting. Let those family members talk to the country about what they are going through and dealing with after the police murders and violence.
In the modern world every young Kenyan with a cell phone is a journalist which means Kenyans have thousands of videos and pictures of police killings, teargassing and torturing Kenyans. Let the country see all that at the NMSF hearing as a first step. Let the country see the burials of those killed by Ruto police and security agents. Then the country can start the discussion about solutions from there. Ruto’s X Space cannot deal with that.
The DCI has issued public warnings to alleged looters that they are coming for them because they have CCTV videos. Can Kenya issue warnings to police and security officials who murdered innocent Kenyan protestors that the country is coming for them. And if not the ICC is coming.
Kenyans want to hear from people like this young man.
Frank Okoth Speaks On Surviving Six Police Bullets From Anti-Finance Bill Demos
On Tuesday last week, during the first of that week’s anti-Finance Bill protests in Nairobi, videos of Frank Okoth, a young Gen Z protestor, circulated widely on social media.
They showed him either gasping for air, his body riddled with bullets or being taken into an ambulance, seemingly lifeless, hours after being shot by police during the protests at Parliament.
During the press interview President Ruto said he will talk to the mother of another 12 year old shot eight times and killed by his police. No Mr. President Kenyans want to hear what that mother has to say to the country about her pain and what solutions she expects. That is more important than you bullying her on the phone and telling her to shut up.
Agenda Number Two at the NMSF after the country hears from the victims and their families is to figure out what to do bring justice to the victims and their families. Are the killers and violent cops and officials going to be arrested and tried in our courts? How many of them have actually been arrested?
And we also have hired government killers who are not even police officers killing protestors in the streets. What do we do with those killers who even IPOA cannot investigate because they are not legal police officers but hired state killers.
If the Kenya government is not willing or able to deal with the killer police and those who committed violence against Kenyans then the matter goes to the International Criminal Court (ICC). If the victims want the ICC to take over the investigations and issue warrants of arrest then that is where it goes.
That will make William Ruto realize that this is not a joke or a talk show issue for X Space with Dennis Itumbi and friends pretending to be Gen Z representatives. William Ruto can have his Itumbi as much as he wants. It is useless to the Kenyan youth.
People have been killed and that is not a small matter for the country. The youth need real solutions to the issues they have raised and are fighting for. Nothing will change that. If the Kenya government cannot address the murder and violence on the Kenya youth this matter is headed to the ICC.
KNCHR: At least 39 dead, 361 injured due to ongoing protests
The Commission said the data was recorded from June 18 to July 1, 2024.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has called for action from duty bearers saying they are at the forefront of documenting human rights violations.
In a statement on Monday, the Commission said at least 39 people have died and 361 injured during the countrywide anti-Finance Bill protests.
The Commission said the data was recorded from June 18 to July 1, 2024.
KNCHR chairperson Roseline Odede said postmortem for most of the victims is yet to be conducted.
The chairperson raised concern that demonstrations which started as peaceful on the first day turned chaotic on June 25.
“The demonstrations resulted in several deaths, injuries and property damage,” she said.
KNCHR said deceased victims are from Nairobi (17), Nakuru (3) Laikipia (1), Narok (1), Kajiado (3), Uasin Gishu (4) Kakamega (1) Kisumu (2), Kisii (1), Mombasa (3), Siaya (1), Kiambu (1) and Nandi (1).
Odede said there were 32 cases of enforced or involuntary disappearances and 627 instances of arrests of protestors.
The KNCHR chair said the Commission notes that several others indicated being in hiding due to threats on their lives by unknown persons.
She condemned the unwarranted violence and force that was inflicted on protesters, medical personnel, lawyers, journalists and safe spaces such as churches, medical emergency centres and ambulances.
“We maintain that the force used against the protestors was excessive and disproportionate,” Odede said.
She further condemned the violent and shocking acts of lawlessness exhibited by some of the protestors.
“We recorded the destruction and burning of critical government infrastructure including a National Library and a County Court in Eldoret, the Governor’s Office in Nairobi and Parliament buildings,” she added.
Odede said the Commission received reports of destruction of property linked to politicians in Molo, Eldoret, Nyeri, Kiambu and Embu.
She said they recorded the destruction of private property, the burning of cars and the breaking into and looting of shops.
“Over the weekend we documented instances of open hostility, threats of violence and actual violence meted out to politicians by the public,” she said.
“This is unacceptable, rights have obligations and we urge restraint, respect for the rule of law by all and non-violation of the rights of others.”
KNCHR urged the protesters to conduct themselves within the confines of the law while exercising their right under Article 37 of the Constitution.
The Commission said the deployment of Kenya Defence Forces to assist national policing should be pursued in compliance with the law.
The chairperson added that the commission will be closely monitoring compliance with these Constitutional and statutory obligations.
“The KNCHR reiterates that the government has an obligation to facilitate the rights of protesters through the provision of security to ensure law and order,” she said.
Agenda Number Three is to ask the Auditor General to present to NMSF the audit records on the last two years about waste and corruption in Kenya and how much public money is wasted which is the reason the youth cannot get jobs as politicians steal everything.
This will help Kenyans see the Birth Certificate of Corruption and theft in Kenya and why the economy is dead and young Kenyans cannot get any jobs in a terrible economy. The Auditor General report should provide any available audit reports at the national as well as county levels.
NMSF should then ask for a complete audit in all key ministries as well as counties and NG CDF money. Unless all that is sorted out the Kenyan youth will never be employed in productive work because all tax payers money is being stolen by politicians at the national level, in the counties and at constituency level with CDF getting into the pockets of the MPs.
Agenda Number Four is for the Ruto government to provide youth employment records for his entire time as the president of Kenya. Ruto says the Housing levy is providing jobs. Let him provide the numbers of people employed as of right now in those housing projects. President has been talking about all those hundreds of thousands of jobs he has created for Kenyan youth in Saudi Arabia, USA and Canada.
How many Kenyans have been actually employed in those alleged job plans? I live in Canada and I know there is not one single Kenyan who has been given a job here even after Alfred then CS for Foreign Affairs came here and declared that Canada had offered tens of thousands of jobs for Kenyans.
Right now Ruto’s main promise to the youth on jobs are those imaginary job opportunities outside the country. Can the president give numbers on how that project has worked so far.
Kenya has to address the issues on education and employment raised by the Kenyan youth because they mean business and they are the majority of our population as a country. It is their country actually.
Final Agenda for NMSF has to be coming with practical solutions on youth employment, address cost of living, come up with a new process to set up the 2024/25 budget that is acceptable to Kenyans and then go to work.
NMSF should also assure the youth of Kenya that they can register to vote and they will get that settled with state officials and the IEBC so that Kenyan youth can vote in the next Kenyan government. Kenyan youth will need a timeline for voter registration and that should start immediately. NMSF must give the Kenyan youth that voting card they need and let them decide the fate of their country. That is probably the most important thing this process can achieve.
These kids are not going anywhere and they want their country. They own the country and are the majority of the population close to 70% of the Kenyan population. It is that simple and it is time to listen to them.
They get that voting card and every current politician is going to hell in a hurry and that is the final solution of the political crisis in our country today. Let the young Kenyans vote for the leadership of the country that they feel will serve the future of the country. That is their future and ours but we have to listen to these folks.
“There are decades when nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen”~ Vladmir Lenin.
Right now William Ruto is talking to himself and manufacturing things and he thinks he can do his own Tik Tok for Kenyan youth and everything will be solved. It is time for Kenyans to put the real economic and political agenda on the table and let the country seek solutions to move forward.
Kenya does not belong to William Ruto. He knows that now but he still thinks he can fool everybody and come up with imaginary solutions like removing money from his wife’s budget. Kenya needs a complete new government and that is where it starts.
Ruto needs someone like Raila Odinga to help him set up that National Steering Committee and NMSF to have an agenda to be nationally discussed and the issues sorted out and the country heads for fresh elections. There is no other way out.
Raila knows everything about transition governments because he has been involved in that process for 40 years going back to Moi years where he helped to get rid of Moi without the country falling apart. His focus was the country not Moi.
We know Raila is heading to the AUC job but that is next year and right now getting Kenya stable is more important than anything else and that is the person who can help Ruto have a transition government without Ruto ending up in jail or being sent to the ICC. That should be Ruto’s priority as well. Just get out of there as safely as you can and let the country move forward.
The first thing someone like Raila Odinga can do on one to one talk with William Ruto is to tell the president not to bring any violent groups into the streets and deal with the demands of the Kenyan youth who are protesting are raising and assure the youth no violence will be directed at them.
This idea of the government hiring thugs to take over the streets and terrify people is terrible and can backfire very badly. These are the same goons hired by the government to infiltrate the protests and loot buildings. The problem here is the demonstrators could also arm themselves and you have a war in the streets. That will not help anybody and it certainly wouldn’t help William Ruto. Raila Odinga being AU boss is nothing if Kenya falls apart and that should be a priority now.
A war in the streets will simply mean that the country called Kenya is gone. Look at Sudan. Does Ruto want to take Kenya there? The protestors don’t want that and that is why they have been peaceful all a long but it seems the Ruto government does not want peaceful demonstrations which is making his government look very bad and so they want to create violence in the streets. It will not work for them.
As soon as they introduced their thugs into the streets we see the Interior CS Kithure Kindiki warning protestors and yet for a whole week of peaceful protests being killed by the police nobody heard a word from Kindiki but as soon as they brought their criminals out there now they are out threatening Kenyans.
The peaceful demos were killing Ruto because he was being forced to deal with the real issues the protestors were raising, which had the whole country’s support. So Ruto had to bring violence into the equation.
The DCI has now put forward 38 pictures of the alleged looters. When are Kenyans going to see the pictures of the police who have killed so many Kenyans?
In Mombasa, the gangs were everywhere and killed a tourist. If the Ruto government thinks bringing thugs to the streets to demonize the protestors is going to help they are going to be very sorry.
Those are not protestors setting cars on fire. Those are criminals hired by the government to cause mayhem in the streets and make the demonstrators look like criminals. These state-sponsored thugs in the streets will not save the Ruto regime from the youth rebellion and could make things really bad for him when the whole country gets engulfed in violence.
One thing Kenyans have seen is that when these thugs brutalize the country the Kenya Police don’t bother them and just stay away. When it was the peaceful protestors the police were shooting and throwing teargas everywhere.
Now that the government-sponsored criminals are in town and at work the Kenya Police are quiet because those are their comrades working with them. Keep going and lets see where that ends. It won’t be pretty.
These Gen Z protestors are very smart. They are going to change our country for the better.
