Youth PS Fikirini urges Gen Z to protest peacefully, preserve Kenya
By Arnold Ngure, June 25, 2025Principal Secretary in the state department of youth and creative economy, Fikirini Jacobs, has appealed to the protesting youth to exercise restraint, urging the preservation of the nation.
Speaking during the burial ceremony of the father of Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro at Dabaso on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, Fikirini stated that the preservation of the republic should come first in all agitations for good governance.
“While our ideas and ideologies may be diverse and complex, our fidelity must always be to the preservation and advancement of our republic,” Fikirini said.
“We may be having the best ideas on governance, but we need a country called Kenya to have all that to become a reality. That is where our focus and commitment should always be.”
Calls for peaceful demos
The youthful PS’s remarks came just before ODM Party leader Raila Odinga urged the protesters to be peaceful while clamouring for their rights as enshrined in the constitution.
“We are here, and there are other Kenyans on the streets as we speak. It is their right. Everyone has a right to air their opinions and demonstrate when they feel things are not going right. It’s in our constitution, but it must be done in a peaceful manner,” Raila said.
While referencing the law enforcers’ response to their anti-government protest a couple of years ago, Raila apportioned blame to the officers, faulting their conduct as a reason why many protests in the country tend to turn chaotic and violent.
Police brutality
“We used to hold demonstrations two years ago, and we said we wanted to engage in them peacefully, but we were met with tear gas wherever we stepped out. Then, when the youth see this, they begin throwing stones. We need to outlive such behaviour,” Raila remarked.
“We want to put this behind us. In Europe and America, there are demonstrations every now and then and they are done in an orderly manner. They give notice to the police on how they will conduct themselves,” he added.
The protests, which were largely shunned by a section of opposition leaders, kicked off successfully across several towns in the country.
The protesters say the demonstrations are meant to mark a year since the killing of at least 60 people in 2024.