Kirinyaga county Gover Anne Waiguru has condemned destructive protests witnessed in Mt Kenya region during the Saba Saba day.
Waiguru while urging residents to desist from destroying public and private properties urged the government to listen to the genuine concerns of youths.
In Mwea town of Kirinyaga, major business, Nice Digital City, which is a vital livelihood to locals was looted and vandalised by goons.
In neighbouring Meru, Magunas Supermarket was razed down and in Murang’a County Supermarket and other businesses were vandalised.
“What we witnessed was the massive destruction of businesses and property, including in my county, Kirinyaga. Whether carried out by locals or led by imported goons, this is a tragedy that calls for serious introspection” Waiguru lamented.
She posed; “Why would locals participate in, or silently watch, the destruction of their brothers’ and sisters’ livelihoods? Why are we destroying our own future, our dignity, and our economic backbone? This is, sadly, self-sabotage”.
She asked residents to stop mixing issues, reiterating ‘There is no place for police brutality. No place for abductions. But there is also no place for citizen brutality either. What the Constitution provides for is peaceful protest”.
Nice Digital City in Kirinyaga was looted and vandalised.
“There is indeed an urgency for the government to listen to the genuine concerns of the youth. But let us not, as Mt Kenya, cut off our nose to spite our face in an attempt to send a message to the government. It distracts from and delegitimizes the very real issues that Gen Z have raised, issues that deserve resolution”.
Adding; “If this destruction continues, we will be the biggest losers socially, economically, and politically. We must not allow ourselves to become the scorn of the rest of the country. Let’s please introspect”.
