Former Garissa Governor Ali Korane speaking during a press briefing at his home in Lavington, Nairobi on July 24, 2025/LEAH MUKANGAIFormer Garissa Governor Ali Korane has dismissed the ongoing calls for a national dialogue conclave, arguing that the current agitation lacks a clear agenda.
According to Korane, for any meaningful dialogue to take place, the issues must first be clearly defined.
“So, I don’t understand the essence of the current agitation or what this conclave really means for Kenyans,” said Korane.
“We cannot dialogue in a vacuum. The recent demonstrations had no agenda at all. 'Ruto must go' cannot be the sole item on the table,” he said in a press conference Thursday.
Korane pointed to Kenya’s long history of constructive change through dialogue, citing pivotal moments such as the repeal of Section 2A during the push for multiparty democracy in 1992, the IPPG reforms in 1997, and the constitutional review process between 2005 and 2010.
“In all those moments, there were clear demands. This time, there is no coherent agenda, only calls for Ruto’s resignation, which is unconstitutional. Kenya holds elections every five years. Ruto has only served three; let Kenyans make that decision at the ballot in 2027,” he said.
Korane likened the recent protests to an attempt to unseat a long-serving autocrat.
“The agitation is being organised as if Ruto has been in power for 40 years. That’s misleading,” he added.
On the question of alleged police brutality during the protests, Korane said the issue is contested.
“The police have a mandate to maintain law and order. They do not operate on command like the military,” he said.
Separately, Korane lauded President Ruto’s directive to lift restrictions on the issuance of ID cards in North Eastern and other border regions, calling the move long overdue.
He decried historical discrimination, saying residents in those areas have been locked out of voter registration due to lack of identity documents.
“For years, the people of North Eastern have suffered injustice. Despite having high populations, they are underrepresented on the voter register,” Korane said.
He gave an example comparing Kirinyaga and Garissa.
“Kirinyaga has about 600,000 people and over 360,000 registered voters. Garissa, with a population of 800,000, only has 200,000 voters. That’s because people can’t access IDs,” he said.
He said the president’s move will help correct that imbalance “Now that IDs will be accessible, we expect more people to register as voters. It is a step toward inclusivity.”
