Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i. /SCREENGRAB
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has expressed concern over the state of affairs in Kenya, questioning why the government appears indifferent to the issues being raised by citizens.
Speaking as the country marked the first anniversary of the June 25 Gen Z-led protests, Matiang’i said it was high time the government took seriously the grievances voiced by Kenyans in order to end the cycle of street demonstrations over unfulfilled promises.
"It's very difficult to do anything when the country is in the state it is right now," he said.
"Very frankly it's very unfortunate and very painful to see what's going around in the country because I don't think there's anyone who thinks we should be living like this every day."
He added that the level of violence and destruction witnessed during the protests was unbearable.
Matiang’i called for a national conversation on the current state of affairs.
"Whatever side of the political divide you are, these issues need to be addressed," he said, adding: "How many lives are we going to lose before we start listening to each other?"
His remarks came in the wake of revelations by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) that at least eight people lost their lives during demonstrations held across the country to mark the protests’ first anniversary.
The commission alleged that all the fatalities, which occurred in six counties, resulted from gunshot wounds.
According to the KNCHR, Machakos reported two deaths, Makueni two, while Nakuru, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu, and Nyandarua each reported one death.
The commission expressed deep concern over what it described as “continuous violations of human rights and non-adherence to the rule of law by both state agencies and select groups of citizens.”
“The right to life is sacrosanct. We condole with the families of the deceased and urge all actors to respect the sanctity of life,” said commission vice chairperson Dr Raymond Nyeris.
Matiang’i said the government should not pretend there are no challenges pushing people to the streets.
He criticised the assumption that young Kenyans driving the change agenda are motivated by anything other than a genuine desire for reform.
"For me it's very painful. If we were more open and more focused in addressing these issues we would not have gotten here," he concluded.
