Top government officials and the President’s close allies had flaunted their wealth at a time economy worsened

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi yesterday directly blamed top government officials for the recent Gen Z protests.

Mudavadi, in a candid admission, conceded that top government officials had fuelled the protests by openly displaying their opulence and engaging in corruption and waste at the expense of services for citizens.

“We gave them the ammunition to fight back by showing off our opulence, corruption and wasteful use of public resources,” he said. “Essentially, they are pointing out how insensitive we are to the impact of our decisions on the wellbeing of our people in the face of difficulties arising from domestic and external shocks.”

Deadly protests

He made the remarks when he chaired the inaugural National Development Implementation Committee meeting at the Kenya School of Government in Nairobi.

In attendance were senior government officials, including Cabinet and principal secretaries, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, Attorney General Justin Muturi and Solicitor General Shadrack Mose.

Mudavadi’s remarks came in the wake of deadly protests spearheaded by Gen Z that were sparked by the controversial 2024 Finance Bill but later led to calls for the resignation of the entire government and dissolution of Parliament.

Flaunting wealth

The protests have been partly blamed on the conduct of top government officials and close allies of the President who flaunted their wealth as the country was enduring hard economic times, with a majority of young people without jobs.

Yesterday, Mudavadi demanded that government officials show high standards of integrity, adding that the youth want to see officials who are sensitive to their problems and do not waste public resources.

Yesterday’s joint NDIC meeting, Mudavadi said, came at a defining moment in Kenya’s history “where for the first time,

young people have been exercising their constitutional right to canvas Parliament to reject the Finance Bill 2024, demanding better governance and service delivery to the people”.

People-based approach

He said the government needs to listen more to the voices of the people and through the NDIC process, there is a need to reinvigorate a people-based approach more than ever before.

“We are accountable for our actions and the buck stops with us, so let us just get things done. This is the legacy we should all aim to leave at the end of our tenure,” said Mudavadi.

The meeting observed a minute of silence in honour of the young people who lost their lives during the demonstrations, which happened in over 35 counties, culminating in the invasion of Parliament by a mob.

Mudavadi said the youth want to see a more inclusive government that is sensitive to the issues affecting them and a majority of Kenyans, including the high cost of living and lack of employment opportunities.

Alternative sources

He cited the need for the government to seek alternative sources of funding from the private sector, development partners and other sources.

But more important, he said, is how efficiently available funds are utilised and optimised.

He also said innovation will enable the government to come up with viable solutions that are affordable, practical and responsive to the needs of Kenyans, adding that the youth are oozing with ideas that should be harnessed and motivated by including their participation in decision-making processes. “Let us ensure all stakeholders are engaged in an inclusive, constructive and participatory ecosystem. Every voice matters and we must listen more than we talk,” he said.

While acknowledging that the protests sparked by the finance bill were hijacked by criminal elements, he said it is important to refocus minds and efforts on the social contract signed with Kenyans

The young people blamed corruption for the country’s economic problems.