As the wave of anti-government protests continues to surge across Kenya, Kathiani MP Robert Mbui has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the state’s handling of the situation.
In a scathing statement delivered in Parliament and amplified across social media, Mbui decried what he termed “confusion at the highest levels of government,” pointing to conflicting orders, arbitrary police actions, and what he described as “deliberate sabotage of constitutional rights.”
His remarks came in the wake of chaotic scenes on major highways leading to Nairobi, where police set up impromptu roadblocks and subjected travelers to intense scrutiny. Buses were turned back, private vehicles were searched, and suspected protesters, many of them young people, were barred from entering the city.
The move drew widespread condemnation from civil society groups and human rights defenders, who accused the state of weaponizing security forces to suppress public dissent.
“What we’re witnessing is not governance, it’s confusion, panic, and repression,” Mbui said during a televised address. “The cabinet speaks in different tongues. While one minister calls for dialogue, another sends police to use tear gas on peaceful youth. Is this the democracy we fought for?”
The MP also highlighted the contradiction between court rulings upholding the right to protest and the state’s heavy-handed response on the ground. “You can’t have a judiciary upholding Article 37 of the Constitution while the executive tramples on it with boots and tear gas,” he added.
The Saba Saba protests, largely led by Gen Z and millennials, have captured national attention. Fueled by frustration over corruption, economic inequality, and rising youth unemployment, the movement continues to grow—both in numbers and in defiance.
As tensions escalate, Mbui’s message resonates with many: unless order, consistency, and respect for the Constitution return to the corridors of power, Kenya risks plunging into deeper unrest.
