As of now Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has come to the defense of the protesters facing terrorism charges, telling the Kahawa Law Courts that the state had overreached by prosecuting peaceful demonstrators under anti-terror laws.
The other day Kenyans woke up to a pretty scary situation at Kahawa Law Court when 36 people including Manyatta M.P John Mukunju a prominent leader in Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP political group were presented in the court on charges of committing acts of terrorism in the country.
DPP Renson Igonga has approved terrorism charges against 36 suspects linked to and Saba Saba protests, and all have been taken to plea at the Kahawa Law Courts.
The group includes ten people from Matuu in Machakos, 24 from Kikuyu, and two from Kiambu — among them, political allies of Rigathi Gachagua: Peter Kinyanjui Wanjiru, alias Kawanjiru, and Serah Wanjiku Thiga.
The DPP alleges that the accused were involved in the destruction of public property in Kikuyu, including the law courts, probation office, sub-county offices, and the chief’s office, in what has been described as coordinated acts of domestic terrorism.
The specifics of the charges will emerge as the case goes to full hearing hopefully soon enough to wipe out the wild political gimmicks being spread by Gachagua’s partners like Kalonzo Musyoka trying to twist the case by referring to people accused of burning down and destroying public property, county offices among other crimes as people who were holding peaceful demonstrations. It is pretty insulting to genuine demonstrators that such alleged criminals are taking cover as part of peaceful demonstrations.
So far the only information with regards to the case provided by the DPP is that MP John Mukunju was found with books in his possession that had names of people he gave money to allegedly commit crimes during the demonstrations. I am sure those will be provided to the defense team and the contents made public as evidence in the case for all Kenyans to see the details of the case.
As of yet we do not know who the receivers of the money from John Mukunju were or if they are the other 35 people charged with him who were in court on the same day. During the trial Kenyans will know if the alleged terrorists he was giving money to are the ones burning peoples business, robbing and looting from shops and burning down police stations.
Kalonzo Musyoka who is representing John Mukunju and others facing terrorism charges has publicly stated that John Gitonga Mukunju is being taken to court for igniting demonstrations by the Kenyan youth and he is livid claiming that such a charge is contrary to Article 37 of the constitution which provides Kenyans with the right to hold peaceful demonstrations in the country.
Kenyans clean up looted shops, torched buildings after day of deadly protests. This is not the result of peaceful demonstrations, hence the terrorism charges.
People react as they look at business premises burnt during demonstrations to mark the first anniversary of the deadly 2024 anti-government protests.
Torched buildings were smouldering and shop owners were cleaning up the charred wreckage in central Nairobi on Thursday, after a night of looting and arson followed youth demonstrations.
People walk past debris of broken retail electronics following demonstrations to mark the first anniversary of the deadly 2024.
The big question here is whether the same laws giving Kenyans the right to hold demonstrations also allows Kenyans to invade business shops, loot property, burn down buildings while grabbing everything in sight as well as setting Police Stations on fire. That is what their lawyer Kalonzo Musyoka has claimed in court.
If Article 37 of the Kenya constitution allows thugs and goons to destroy property and burn everything down then Kalonzo is right and his clients will be set free as heroes doing what the Kenya constitution allows them to do. Kalonzo himself knows that is not the case but what else can he do except to try manipulating things to save his political friends now facing terrorism charges.
Kalonzo Musyoka defending the protesters told the court that the state had overreached by prosecuting peaceful demonstrators under anti-terror laws.
Appearing during the arraignment of the protesters on Tuesday, Kalonzo said the charges do not meet the threshold for terrorism and urged the state to instead pursue a more measured legal approach.
He further criticized the decision by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to charge them with terrorism-related offences over destruction of property during recent protests, warning that such charges risk inflaming an already politically charged population.
“The penalty for terrorism is no less than 30 years. These young people do not belong to any terrorist group. Charging them under such a serious offence serves as a prospect of inflaming Kenyans,” he argued.
He called the move an abuse of prosecutorial powers, suggesting that the ODPP was misusing the legal process to silence dissenting voices. “The destruction of government offices, even if regrettable, should not fall within the ambit of the Prevention of Terrorism Act,” he added, noting that the Act was never intended to target citizens exercising their constitutional right to protest.
The prosecution team defended the decision, saying the destruction targeted key government institutions, including a chief’s office, a court, and subcounty administration offices, among others. They cited the need to protect public safety and property. “The charge sheet demonstrates that the evidentiary and public interest tests were met. The right to prosecute is being exercised with humility,” they said.
In realty it is not surprising but truly embarrassing for those defending the looting and robbery that is destroying hundreds of millions worth of property and supplies to equating those actions with the legal demonstrations that have been going on since June 2024 with no looting at all at that time.
Someone needs to tell Kalonzo Musyoka that holding demonstrations and looting businesses and burning shops to the ground are two completely different things. It is quite damaging to equate the peaceful demonstrators who have been holding the demonstrations to fight for human rights and good governance with the criminals who today are infiltrating the demonstrations to commit crimes against Kenyans who are loosing everything in business that have supported them and their families.
The question someone like Kalonzo Musyoka should be asking himself is how come in the mass actions of 2024 by the Kenyan youth there was no looting or burning anything at all and now after every demonstration by the youth the biggest stories coming out is how many businesses were burnt down. What has changed?
Could it be that some politicians who are now pretending that the demos are for them are the ones bringing and paying goons to engage in thuggery during the demos for personal political interests.
Do the Maths: Kibwana refutes claims Gachagua behind Gen Z protests
According to media reports former Makueni governor Kivutha Kibwana has poured cold water claims linking former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to the Gen Z-led protests.
In a pointed post on X Thursday morning, Kibwana questioned the logic of accusing Gachagua of masterminding a movement that erupted months before his removal from office.
“Mountainman RG was impeached October 2024. Gen Z uprising debacled June 2024. Help me with the maths!” he wrote. “How could Rigathi the former Deputy President be the midwife of the youth movement? We must come to terms with the emergent youth power. They want to fix Kenya for all of us” The nationwide protests, which began in June 2024 against the controversial finance bill, have since widened into a broader national movement against corruption, police brutality and the high cost of living.
They resurfaced on June 25, 2025 not just to mark the first anniversary of the revolt, but to demand justice after the death in police custody of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang. Ironically, face mask vendor Boniface Kariuki was shot in the head at close range by anti-riot police officer dispersing protesters. He succumbed to his injuries days later and was buried on July 11 in Kangema.
“The Gen Z protests do not need anyone to finance them. Gen Z are tribeless, without structure or direction,” he told President Ruto. But Gen Z demonstrators have repeatedly stated they are not aligned to any political party.
I agree with Prof. Kibwana’s clear statement that the Gen Z are a genuine struggle by the Kenyan youth which does not depend on or need politicians to guide them and hold their hands. It is clear that from Gen Z activities and demonstrations back in 2024 there wasn’t and looting and destruction of businesses was never part of their activities.
It is quite surprising and confusing that the same Rigathi Gachagua who very publicly supports the mass actions of the Kenyan youth could be the one who is also paying thugs to mess with peoples businesses during the demonstrations because those two things do not go together.
But in dialectics we learn that two opposing things can actually work in the same direction with each serving a different purpose. The youth demonstrations in Kenya are popular so every politician has to support them. At the same time it is possible that the same politicians may find value in financing goons to join the demos to help them achieve something else.
As Kalonzo and others try to take leadership of the United Opposition they are going to come to terms with the unfolding situation. Rigathi Gachagua has loaded his tons of boxes and is the USA now. There is going to be a huge leadership gap because Gachagua was the kingpin of that group and now they have to figure out how do their politics without him.
While all these is going on there was a surprise to many people when Fred Matiang’i’s rallies for Meru were abruptly cancelled in the last minute with claims that there would be goons to mess up the events there.
Matiang’i Mt Kenya tour cancelled amid chaos fears
Fred Matiang’i’s anticipated tour of Mt Kenya was cancelled, with organizers citing fears of planned chaos and a need to honour victims of recent protests.
Addressing a press conference, PNU party leader and rally host Peter Munya claimed there was a calculated scheme to disrupt the rally by deploying hired goons. He alleged that the aim was to tarnish both Matiang’i’s image and that of the PNU party.
He added that, beyond the security threats, the party had also resolved to postpone the meetings out of respect for the Kenyans who died during recent anti-government demonstrations.
“We’ve chosen to postpone the meeting out of respect for those who lost loved ones during the demonstrations. We still plan to hold it, but only when the time is right,” he added.
Munya noted that local leaders in Meru had made preparations to welcome the former CS, who is laying the groundwork for a 2027 presidential bid. Matiang’i was also expected to continue his tour in neighbouring Narok County.
The Kenya Social Congress Meru County branch had earlier expressed enthusiasm about his visit and urged him to present his agenda to the region.
“We are welcoming our leader and friend Fred Matiang’i here in Meru so that he can sell his agenda to us, and convince us to vote for him in 2027. We know there are other malicious leaders paying goons to disrupt such rallies, we would like to warn them to refrain from such,” a party member said prior to the postponement. A new date for the Mt Kenya tour is yet to be announced.
This was not the first time a Matiang’i rally has been cancelled the last minute. The last time this happened was when the entire United Opposition group was visiting Western Kenya and they went to Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia, Bungoma and all over the region.
But when it came time for the team to go for two day rallies in Nyamira and Kisii counties the whole trip was cancelled by Gachagua and Kalonzo because of alleged security reasons. Matiang’i himself never talked about the cancellation which was surprising because that is his home.
Nyamira town the headquarters of the county that was boycotted by United Opposition leaders.
What then is the difference with Nyamira and Kisii rallies which is Fred Matiang’i’s home ground and where he has a lot of support. One thing Gachagua and Kalonzo knew very well is that those rallies in Matiang’i’s territory would make their other rallies look like practical jokes
Those Nyamira and Kisii rallies could have been the largest gathering of Kenyans in their whole tour of Western Kenya and could very well make Matiang’i a top candidate for Kenyans to lead the opposition group and be nominated as the one to go for the presidency for the team. Gachagua and Kalonzo were not going to take that risk. For them Matiang’i was just an add on for convenience to make sure he does not seek the presidency on his own.
Kisii town alone is bigger than any of the places than any of the places Gachagua and his buddies like Kalonzo were roaming in for campaigns. How to you just abandon such a place.
The bigger issue here is that the opposition group by refusing to go to Kisii and Nyamira counties treated the citizens there as if they are second class Kenyans whose votes do not matter to them. How does that make the people down there feel towards this opposition group.
One thing is for sure is that whether Matiang’i runs or not the Kisii voters after they were pissed on by the opposition leaders, will not look at the rest of the opposition which humiliated them as leaders they can ever vote for.
Matiang’i draws crowds as he makes political comeback
This is Matiang’i in Kisii and Nyamira counties after he announced that he was running for the presidency. This is what scared the hell out of Gachagua and Kalonzo the self declared leaders of the United Opposition. Matiang’i was going to make their rallies in Kakamega, Bungoma and Vihiga take a back seat because there was not much there after shouting Wantam for hours at a time.
Thousands of enthusiastic residents packed the streets, waving placards and cheering as Matiang’i’s motorcade snaked through bustling market centers.
Accompanied by local leaders and allies, Matiang’i addressed brief roadside gatherings, thanking the community for their unwavering support and urging them to remain peaceful and hopeful for the future.
Residents during the Homecoming tour of Former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i in Kisii and Nyamira Counties on May 2, 2025
“I am ready to be President of Kenya,” Matiang’i declared as the crowd erupted in cheers.
He announced that he would now resign from his World Bank assignment and officially begin his 2027 presidential bid.
“You have asked me to come and serve this country. Do you want me to leave that job and come back to serve you? I will now resign officially, with respect, and come back to Kenya to serve my country,” he said.
The big opposition group were a little scared of Matiang’i and the other fact is that he has his own money and needs nothing from the likes of Gachagua and the others. In real terms the opposition big boys have just lost a very big chunk of voters. The Kisii folks now know that they are irrelevant to those leaders and that feeling is going to be mutual.
The big argument of the United Opposition why they dragged Matiang’i to the group was that Matiang’i would bring the Kisii vote to the opposition and Raila working with Ruto will have his base reduced. Right now it is obvious Gachagua and Kalonzo want to sideline Matiang’i to the back seat and that may not work well for them.
To cut a long story short, the United Opposition team are just entering the stage where there will be huge internal fighting about who becomes the team’s presidential candidate and in a way the route is not going to be far from what happened to FORD in 1992 when they handed all power and the presidency to Moi and it took them ten years to figure out how to win an election. Good journey my friends just take it easy. Will you?
