- In a statement on X Friday, Asige said the government has demonstrated through its handling of dissenting voices on the Finance Bill that it can no longer be trusted.
- She said multisectoral taskforces, commissions of enquiry or parliamentary reports on what the Kenyan youth want are nothing but a diversionary tactic.
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Nominated Senator Crystal Asige has condemned the government over its alleged use of brute force in containing Gen Z protesters on Tuesday which left several youths dead.
The youthful senator said the government had the opportunity to dialogue with the majority of those opposed to its tax policies but failed to do so until blood was shed on the steps of Parliament.
In a statement on X, Friday, Asige said the government has demonstrated through its handling of dissenting voices on the Finance Bill that it can no longer be trusted.
“When young people marched patriotically, wearing Kenyan flags on their backs and raising their voices, you responded with bullets and death. And now you have supposedly ‘heard’ and want dialogue? For 20 months you have been speaking, it’s our time now,” she said.
President William Ruto on Wednesday declined to assent to the contentious Finance Bill, 2024 and sent it back to the National Assembly asking MPs to delete all clauses.
The Head of State sent condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones and said he was open to dialogue with the young Kenyans on their issues.
“I propose an engagement with young people of our nation to listen to their issues and agree with them on their priority areas of concern,” the President said.
“I also propose that within the next 14 days, a multi-sectoral, multistakeholder engagement be held to chart the way forward on matters relating to the content of the bill,” he added.
But Senator Asige said time for talks has lapsed and all the young people want now is action.
She said multisectoral taskforces, commissions of enquiry or parliamentary reports on what the Kenyan youth want are nothing but a diversionary tactic.
“If you have heard us, then no more talking—just act. We want to wake up in the morning with budget allocations reworked, with the Appropriations Bill overhauled, your MPs sacked, your Cabinet Secretaries sacked, the wheels of Constitutional amendments to begin turning, and your resignation on Gen-Z's desk for them to decide whether to accept,” Asige told MPs.
While speaking on the floor of the House on Wednesday, Asige opposed a motion for the House to go on recess until the issues outlined above are finalised.
“I’m speaking for the youth who are outside this House, we cannot go on recess. It is wrong and it will be completely insensitive to do so,” she said.
“We reject this Finance Bill because we would rather die on our feet than live on our knees. We are not a generation who are silenced by every carrot dangled in front of them. We are the generation that asks questions and demands accountability because we understand that we are rich and only if the money that we refuse tastes better than the money that we accept.
Asige said going on recess would be a demonstration that “darkness fears democracy”.
“Young Kenyans have looked their oppressor dead in the eye and shown them that when it comes down to the wire, there are only two times to be brave; when you feel like it and when you don’t,” she said.
Senators eventually shot down the bid by the Senate Business Committee to go on recess until July 16, voting 19 against nine.
“And Mr Speaker, I just want to comfort those (killed and injured) in closing by saying that even though they cut our wings and tie our feet, still we will rise, Viva comrades!”