Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has broken his silence over
the violent wave of nationwide protests, calling for national dialogue, public
accountability, and urgent reforms.
In a video footage seen by the Star, Matiang’i condemned the loss of young lives
and criticised the government’s failure to address the root causes of unrest.
“It is painful and hurting to see parents bury
their children,” said Matiang’i.
“Many of the young people we are losing are simply asking
questions—questions that are not just logical, but real and necessary.”
Matiang’i, who served in President Uhuru
Kenyatta’s administration, said he spent the better part of Wednesday glued to
live coverage of the protests, describing the scenes as “very sad and
disheartening.”
“The country is on tenterhooks,” he said.
“The level of violence and destruction we’ve seen is unbearable. And we
can’t pretend there are no issues. This is not about politics—it’s about real
frustrations that must be addressed.”
His remarks come after a deadly day of demonstrations
that left several people dead and hundreds injured, according to human rights
monitors.
Protesters, mostly youth, took to the streets in what was billed as a
commemoration of last year’s anti-Finance Bill demonstrations that turned
tragic.
Matiang’i criticised the state’s use of force
and what he called an “unwillingness to listen,” urging the leadership to
acknowledge the economic and social pain being felt across the country.
“How many lives must be lost before we listen
and reason with each other?” he asked.
“The issues being raised—about employment, inclusion, education, and
economic stress—are not alien to us. We know them. We live with them.”
He emphasised that most of the country’s
population is under 35, and that ignoring their voices risks long-term
instability.
“We can’t continue responding with
violence. These are not problems beyond our reach. These are things we can
fix.”
Matiang’i also called for an open public
inquiry into the grievances raised during the protests, especially following
what he termed as repeated failures by the government to honor previous
promises made in response to civil unrest.
“When this happened last year, there were
promises that were made and never fulfilled,” he said.
“We need to stop pointing fingers, stop the insults, and start focusing on
the issues.”
Visibly emotional, the former CS said the
language being used by some current leaders was “shocking,” accusing them of
escalating tensions rather than building unity.
“We need warriors of progress, not warriors
who carry pangas and rungus,” he said. “The world needs leaders who build
nations, not divide them.”
Matiang’i
urged both leaders and citizens to unite across generations and political lines
to restore stability.
“Let’s not lose hope. It is for this reason that we must come together and
find solutions. These challenges are real, but they are not insurmountable.”
