Nakuru East MP David Gikaria issued a rare apology on Friday for voting in favour of the controversial Finance Bill 2024.
It was a symbolic apology that saw the MP and his wife wearing a white designer T-shirt emblazoned with the words 'I am sorry. Please forgive me for not listening to you and rejecting the Finance Bill.
The T-shirt, he says, was printed by a Gen-Z, an umbrella term for the youth born between 1996 and 2012, who have been leading the majority of protests against the Finance Bill and who, incidentally, are campaigning for its outright rejection.
The youth forced President William Ruto to make a rare climb-down and back down, refusing to sign the controversial Finance Bill after nationwide protests in at least 35 of Kenya's 47 counties.
In an interview with Nation.Africa, Mr Gikaria said he decided to involve his wife in the apology because she has been his political pillar and has been involved in all his major policy decisions.
"We decided as a family to apologise because if I'm blamed, my family is also blamed, including my children. They carry this burden. I wanted to involve my daughter but she was not there," said Mr Gikaria.
"It is a permanent and humble way. I have no regrets whatsoever about printing this message on a T-shirt. I'm not making this apology to get re-elected. I have no intention of defending my seat again. I didn't want a video because I was afraid it might be edited and send a wrong and confusing message.
The T-shirt has an image of praying hands begging for forgiveness.
"This is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make as a politician. I regret my decision to vote yes and because I don't want to live with the guilt forever, I am coming to the people who elected me to apologise profusely for my biggest political blunder," Mr Gikaria said in an interview with the Nation.Africa.
"Mistakes happen, but this one was the biggest political mistake as two youths from my constituency lost their lives when they were shot by the police, while many others are nursing injuries at Nakuru Level Five Hospital and at home. This would not have happened if I had listened to my people," said Gikaria, who said he would not defend his seat in 2027.
He promised to help the families of the two youths as they prepare for the burial of their fallen loved ones.
"It is time for me to pass the button to Gen Z to take over from me. They have spoken loudly and their voice must be heard. I think it's time for veteran politicians like me to step aside and give young people the opportunity to take this country to the next level. I was first elected as a civic leader and later Mayor of Nakuru in my early 30s and it is time to leave the stage like a good dancer who knows when it is time to leave the stage".
He added: "I will pay for this mistake by supporting a Gen Z to succeed me in the 2027 elections because they have shown they have what it takes to lead this nation," said Mr Gikaria, who is serving his third term as the MP for Nakuru Town East.
Mr Gikaria confessed that before leaving Nakuru Town for Nairobi to vote, he attended two church services and the message was clear. "They told me to go and reject the bill, including a priest from the Anglican Church of Kenya. I had decided to vote no but what happened after a meeting at State House made me do a U-turn."
He revealed that on reaching State House in Nairobi, the leader of the majority, Kimani Kimani Ichung'wa, convinced MPs that the issues raised by Kenyans had been addressed through 22 amendments to the bill and that they should vote yes on the basis of these amendments.
"But I was a troubled man as I listened to him because I knew the strict mandate I had from my people."
"I had gone round my constituency and they were all unanimous that they didn't want this Finance Bill. They didn't tell me to go and amend it. They told me to my face to go and vote it down. I'm so sorry for that political blunder in my last lap as Nakuru East MP. It was not the way I wanted to end this successful race that saw me transform the cosmopolitan constituency."
