Thugs hijacked Gen Z protests, turned them into mayhem – Raila
ODM leader Raila Odinga has condemned the violence and looting witnessed on the Tuesday, July 2, 2024, protests, saying the bad manners have to be stopped.
In a statement on Wednesday, July 3, Odinga noted that the otherwise peaceful demos initially started by the Gen Zs had been hijacked by goons posing as legitimate demonstrators.
"What started as an expression of disaffection with the government by young Kenyans through peaceful protests and presentation of petitions to authorities degenerated into chaos and mayhem yesterday," Odinga said.
He added: "The scenes of people looting, vandalizing and robbing were different from what was witnessed at the start of the protests when the Gen Z were in complete control of the process and its programs."
The ODM leader expressed his sympathies with business people affected by the violence, adding that the protests were making life more difficult.
"I extend deep sympathy to the families who've suffered in the hands of looters posing as Gen Z protestors, innocent people who've seen their business premises broken into, their products looted and who now face the reality of being worse off than before the protests," Odinga noted.
"The young people who started the protests were out to correct the injustices in the country and in the process educate all of us that protests can be peaceful, civil and still achieve the intended goals. For thugs to hijack the protests and turn them into mayhem against innocent Kenyans amounts to a double betrayal of the youth. The bad manners have to be stopped," Odinga said.
Protests hijacked
A section of leaders have called on the police to isolate criminals from the demonstrators after widespread vandalism and looting was witnessed in the country.
On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, Narc Kenya party leader, Martha Karua blamed the police for looking the other way as criminals vandalized buildings and looted businesses.
Activist Boniface Mwangi equally abandoned the demos and urged legitimate demonstrators to head home citing infiltration by goons.
Nyali MP Mohammed Ali also decried the lawlessness of a section of demonstrators in Mombasa County who vandalized the Huduma Centre building and set five cars ablaze after an altercation with a city business owner.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki warned that all perpetrators of violence would be brought to book, warning that all the financiers and organizers of violent demos would be answerable.
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