The Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya have now pleaded with the Gen Z to halt their countrywide protests and give dialogue a chance.
CIPK organising secretary Sheikh Mohamed Khalifa said the President has listened to and acted on some of the demands of the Gen Z, and it is time the Gen Z also showed good will by halting the protests.
Another round of protests were witnessed in Mombasa as youth who lit bonfires and blocked the Mombasa-Malindi highway at Bombolulu were repulsed by police.
By the time of going to press, another group of youth were gathering at the famous Pembe za Ndovu in readiness for protests as police took vantage positions to repulse acts of violence.
Speaking at the CIPK offices, Sheikh Khalifa said although it is a constitutional right to protest, it must be peaceful.
“We have witnessed goons taking advantage of the protests to rob people, prevent them from travelling and conducting their business,” the cleric said.
Peace, he said, is key for development in any part of the world.
“These are our children and when they go to the streets, our hearts skip a beat, not knowing whether they will come back home alive,” he said.
Sheikh Khalifa said already there are signs of changes in the country that signify a move towards the path that every Kenyan expects.
The acting Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanji has acted in good faith by transferring all police officers at the Kware police station in Mukuru slums, Nairobi where at least 10 female bodies were recovered, Khalifa said.
“We are waiting for the completion of the investigations to know whether the killings are related to freemasonry, thuggery, cultism or any other things,” he said.
CIPK also wants the next Cabinet to be appointed devoid of politics.
Party politics and loyalty should not be the basis for appointment of cabinet secretaries, the clerics said.
Appointment should be based on merit to avoid having incompetent people lead ministries.
“We heard the President castigate his own Cabinet one day saying his cabinet secretaries didn't know what they are doing or what is happening in their dockets,” Sheikh Khalifa said.
CIPK treasurer Sheikh Hassan Omar said Kenya is undergoing a hard political time and only peace will help the country move forward.
Sheikh Omar lauded ODM leader Raila Odinga for his move to meet President Ruto, saying it helped calmed things a bit because he has a huge following.
“That is how a statesman acts. He does not look at party or position. He looks at the country and where it is heading,” Omar said.
He said Ruto has shown signs he wants to change things but the Gen Z are adamant to continue with protests and this is taking the wrong direction.
“Now the whole world is talking about Kenya. Violence cannot bring solutions. Only dialogue can bring solutions. When the country burns, no one will be safe,” Omar said.
However, the cleric warned that the conduct of governors in the country is fuelling the anger of the Gen Z.
“They were elected to be servants of the people but they behave like kings. Today, getting an appointment with a county chief is hell. You wonder whether they were elected as kings or as servants."
“In Europe, you see leaders travel by public means but here they travel like the US president,” he said.
