President William Ruto on Friday, for the first time addressed the June 25 protests, terming them as “economic sabotage”.
He pledged decisive action against those found culpable.
He who spoke during the International MSMEs Day celebrations on Friday strongly condemned the wave of violence and destruction witnessed during Gen Z protests, decrying the looting, loss of lives, and destruction of property that rocked several towns, saying the biggest victims were traders.
He said while the Constitution protects the right to peaceful protest, the events witnessed went far beyond the bounds of lawful expression.
“Even as we celebrate our MSMEs today, we must confront a painful reality.
I want to express my deepest regret and condemnation for the loss of lives, looting, wanton destruction, and loss of valuable property belonging to our traders who were deliberately targeted by criminal elements during the protests this week,” Ruto said.
“Let me be clear: the right to peaceful protest is protected by our Constitution.
We respect and uphold that right. But what we witnessed was not peaceful protests.
It was calculated chaos.
It was destruction. It was economic sabotage; let’s call it what it is, that is what it was.”
While regretting the loss of lives, Ruto painted a grim picture of the aftermath, reiterating the burning of businesses, destruction of market stalls, and the decimated livelihoods.
He challenged the public to reflect on the consequences of such chaos, terming the aftermath of the protests as “anarchy dressed in freedom colours.”
