After the devastation during Wednesday’s protests meant to mark the first anniversary of those who died in the anti-finance demos in 2024, Kenyans of every political persuasion must step back … and exhale.

Wednesday’s chaos proved that this battle will have no winners – everybody will lose. It is time for responsibility and accountability by all players. There has been too much gaslighting of Kenyans by all concerned parties, too much impunity, senseless grandstanding and meaningless blame games.

Kenyans can do better. Some tough questions need to be posed … and all duty bearers to reflect and act upon these issues.

Innocent people were shot by the police. They were not rioting or stealing. They posed no danger. No apologies from the government, no restitution, no comfort.

Protesters wreaked mayhem on the businesses of Kenyans, disrupted their lives, and destroyed livelihoods. Organisers still insist that these were ‘peaceful demonstrators’.

When the church, human rights groups and Western envoys are very vocal calling on the government to allow demonstrations because it is part of freedom of expression, yet fail to call out organisers mobilising young people to storm State House to execute an unconstitutional power grab, are they concerned that it might be construed, rightly or wrongly, that they are offering cover to those who have declared intentions to do so?

Further, what are the optics when the same players go mute about the destruction of property and looting of businesses by demonstrators, destroying the livelihoods of millions? Who organised the bunch of hoodlums armed with crude weapons who patrolled Nairobi with complete impunity during the demos?

If they are not State-sponsored, why are they still roaming freely when their faces are all over social media?

Why won’t police and organisers of demos sit together and work out a programme for the demos that all parties sign off on? When organisers of demos mobilise young people to storm State House, what response do they expect from security agencies, and how many consequent deaths are acceptable?

Kenyans cheer general indiscipline when it is scoring political points against their enemy … until that same ogre comes back to bite them in the behind.

Demos are part and parcel of Kenya’s democratic culture. Kenyans hold many peaceful demos every year, with minimal disruption and zero destruction. So why do political demos turn violent?

On the same Wednesday that destruction was being wrought elsewhere, the city of Mombasa held a peaceful demo. The young people, reportedly in their hundreds, attended a church service and later proceeded to march along the streets of Mombasa, escorted by police.

The town largely went on with its business. Kudos! That is how a civilised nation behaves.

The players in Mombasa were still the same police, condemned for teargassing and shooting protesters elsewhere, and the same young people, condemned for looting and destroying property elsewhere. So, where is the disconnect elsewhere?

Kenyans need a deep introspection. It is obvious that the journey to nationhood was either stillborn or has yet to grow legs.

Kenyans must go back to the drawing board and ask themselves how they intend to move forward as one country, a discourse that must involve all shades of opinion.

gathukara@gmail.com