- Karichu warned that they will be very keen on watching if any youth will be harassed, arrested or intimidated by security officers as they will be protesting.
- The protesters are opposed to the passage of the Finance Bill and have rejected amendements; they want it rejected entirely.
Image: GEORGE MUGO
Former Lari Kirenga MCA Joseph Karichu has asked young people to be firm on their demands as they protest against the Finance Bill, 2024.
He said most young people are used by politicians as campaigners and mobilisers and end up being left languishing in joblessness and in poverty.
The youthful leader who vied for Lari parliamentary seat in the 2022 general elections as an Independent candidate but lost to incumbent Mburu Kahangara of UDA asked the government to protect the protesting youth.
He warned that they will be very keen on watching if any youth will be harassed, arrested or intimidated by security officers as they will be protesting.
The protesters are opposed to the passage of the Finance Bill and have rejected amendments; they want it rejected entirely.
“When someone gets angry after learning how you have been using him or her to get into somewhere, my friend you will not have peace. Our youth need to be listened to, we need not to use force to disperse them” he said.
“We shall be watching and following on how issues will unfold. We will speak out and even loudly if one of our young people is insulted, beaten, arrested or any injustice is done to them by security officials,” the former ward rep added.
Karichu was speaking at Kirenga village of Lari constituency on Monday.
“Most of these young people are learned. They have beautiful documents. We ask them to be firm even if they call you Gen Z, remain united,” he said.
Karichu defended the youth and Kenyans at large saying they had asked MPs not to support the proposed Finance Bill, 2024 but most opted not to listen to the majority of their electorates.
“MPs are elected to represent the interests of their electorate in different issues at the Parliament. What happened was opposite; majority of people had asked their legislators to oppose the Bill and that is why you can notice all these protests,” he said.
The former MCA spoke while applauding the Kikuyu council of elders for cleansing Lari colonial grudges between neighbouring families.
He noted that the event last Saturday was timely since it came at a time when Mt Kenya leaders were campaigning for unity and love amongst the residents of the region.
The division and grudge resulted after some people supported the British colonialist who were known as home guards and the families who had members of the group that opposed the colonialists known as Mau Mau movement.
The prayers were held at Kirenga stadium in Kiambu county and attended by former Mungiki sect leader Maina Njenga.
Speaking at the event, elder Kigochi wa Waimeri said the event was held after elders representing Lari constituency requested the national organ of the group for the cleansing.
“We have come here to pray and cleanse the region. We want these people to live well, respect one another, support each other like neighbours and stop the notion of Mau Mau and home guards," Waimeri said.
The elders said that during the colonial resistance, Lari constituency was most affected when the colonialists declared an emergency during which period a massacre occured.
The Lari massacre of March 26, 1954 left 74 residents dead.