Action not dialogue, Unions and professional bodies tell President William Ruto
What you need to know:
- The groups said if the government uses decisive execution and not a state-led national conversation, then the faith of the generation will be restored.
- They added that many of the issues raised by the youths did not require a policy dialogue.
A section of professional bodies and civil society have dismissed President William Ruto’s call for dialogue saying he knows what to do to assuage the ballooning public anger.
This is in response to the formation of a National Multi-Sectoral Forum (NMSF) by the head of state to try and tame the ongoing unrest by the youth.
They include the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Kenya Medical Association (KMA), Kenya Union of Journalists and a number of civil society groups.
“The youth for Kenya (Gen Z) have clearly spoken on the urgent need for the state to arrest public theft and a bloated cabinet, invest in essential services, act on those who fired upon unarmed protestors and an end to extra-judicial killings among other demands,” the groups said.
They added that many of the issues raised by the youths did not require a policy dialogue but decisive execution action.
The groups said if the government uses decisive execution and not a state-led national conversation, then the faith of the generation will be restored.
“This will bring back confidence in our constitution and governance institution and create a nation united and driven by our constitutional values. We call on the national administration and 47 county administration to listen and act on the considerations and demands being raised by Gen Z,” the statement read.
Speaking at Ufungamano House on Monday, the bodies said that the police had killed a total of 24 protesters and 361 others left nursing serious injuries.
“As of last night, 24 human beings had been killed by police officers, one of the youngest fatalities is 12-year-old Kennedy Onyango,” the groups said in a statement.
According to the groups, police arrested a total of 627 people countrywide and 32 people had been abducted where some were still missing to date.
They said that those who had been abducted were not even booked in any police station and did not have any charges read against them.
“Tens have been held incommunicado and denied access to their families, legal presentation and medical assistance,” the statement read.
The groups said that most medical practitioners had come under fire as they were arrested by the police who they accused of even stealing patient lists from mobile emergency centers which were located in various parts of the country to serve the injured.
They said even lawyers were denied access to their clients, arrested and intimidated by officers to drop some cases.
Equally, journalists who were covering the protests have had their cameras confiscated, some were arrested and beatent.
For the last two weeks, the country has seen a series of anti-government led demonstrations.
The demonstrations kicked off with a section of youth opposing the Finance Bill 2024.
This forced President William Ruto to decline signing the bill into law.
Currently, the youths have maintained that they will go on with the demonstrations until their woes are addressed.
