Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing’Oei has issued a firm response to a joint statement by 13 Western envoys calling for the protection of peaceful protests ahead of the June 25 anniversary of last year’s Finance Bill demonstrations.
In a measured but pointed rejoinder, the PS acknowledged the diplomats’ concerns, stating, “Democratic protest must be protected,” but warned against what he termed the “weaponisation of protests to achieve extra-constitutional objectives.”
“Democratic protest must be protected but any weaponisation of protests to achieve extra-constitutional objectives must be met with strong condemnation,” read Korir’s statement.He emphasized that while civic freedoms are a hallmark of democracy, they must not be manipulated to destabilise the country.
“Kenya’s stability is paramount,” he asserted, suggesting that any exploitation of public demonstrations to erode constitutional order would be strongly condemned.This response follows the diplomats’ appeal for peaceful commemoration, an end to the deployment of plainclothes officers in unmarked vehicles, and independent investigations into protest-related violence.
The diplomatic bloc included representatives from the U.S., U.K., Germany, Sweden, and others.
