MP Ali defends Yes colleagues as religious leaders call for peace

Nyali MP Mohamed Ali on Wednesday defended MPs who voted for the controversial, and now withdrawn, Finance Bill 2024.

Ali said those who voted Yes only wanted to have more money sent to the constituencies to initiate more projects.

“To those who have taken advantage of the situation in the country to attack MPs who voted Yes, they are on the wrong. All MPs had their reasons for voting Yes or No,” Ali said.

He spoke in Mombasa after a meeting with religious leaders and other stakeholders in a bid to find a common ground from where they can preach peace to the Gen Z.

He said just as Kenyans line up to vote for their preferred candidates in elections, MPs should also be allowed to exercise their democratic right and vote in Parliament.

He said MPs voted Yes because the Finance Bill 2024 would have increased the NG-CDF kitty from Sh136 million to Sh186 million.

The Sh50 million extra for each of the 290 constituencies would mean more bursaries for children.

“In Nyali, I get 10,000 bursary forms. But because the money is usually not enough, we give bursaries to between 5,000 and 6,000 learners. About 4,000 miss out.

“But if we get Sh50 million more, we will be able to give 15,000 learners bursaries,” he said.

He said the Yes vote would have enabled 40,000 Junior Secondary School teachers to be permanently employed.

“These teachers would not have been employed to teach me. They would have been employed to teach our children,” the MP said.

The Yes vote would have ensured more roads are built, he said.

The religious leaders on the other hand called on the Gen Z not to allow goons to infiltrate their protests.

The clergy and Muslim clerics who accompanied MP Ali, said the Gen Z have been heard and now it is time to give dialogue a chance, warning that the turn that the protests have taken is a danger to the country.

They called on all religious leaders across the country to preach peace.

“Let us contribute by preaching peace. A gentle tongue breaks bones. That is what the Book of Proverbs says. Let us speak words that will bring the temperatures down,” the clerics said.

They said Kenya should not go the way other countries like South Sudan, Sudan, Libya and the rest went.

They said the constitution allows for peaceful protests but it is incumbent for the protestors to know what constitutes peaceful protests.

“In a protest, you can identify those who are not for peace. Those who are armed with stones and other crude weapons must be separated,” they said.

The religious leaders said the timing of the announcement of increment of salaries for MPs, Cabinet Secretaries, MCAs, Senators and Speakers, was wrong.

Rev Maria Menego, a peace ambassador, said peace building is an important phenomenon.

“Without peace there is nothing that can be done in this country. We all need peace,” Rev Menego said.

The future is for you Gen Z, she noted, adding that it is their responsibility to ensure a safe future.

Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya separately called on Imams and other Muslim leaders to preach peace in their Friday summons.

CIPK chair Sheikh Ibrahim Ateka said the Gen Z protestors started in the right manner but their protests have been infiltrated by thugs.

“What we see now is pure thuggery,” he said.

The CIPK accused the police of doing little to protect lives and property of Kenyans even during the protests.

“We were shocked to see a businessman trying to protect his property while police just watched from metres away. It was wrong,” Sheikh Ateka said.

Sheikh Khalifa Mohamed lauded Gen Z for their part in the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024 saying victory is theirs.

“However, their protests have now been infiltrated by goons who have caused mayhem, death and loss of property,” Sheikh Khalifa said.

He pointed an accusing finger at security agents for going against a court order not to use live bullets and tear gas in dispersing peaceful protestors.

“Do they want to turn Kenya in Haiti where every businessman is forced to protect their own property and business?” he posed.