Senior Counsel John Khaminwa has asked the youthful protesters to cease protests and let President William Ruto address the issues they have raised.
In a statement he tasked lawyer Nelson Havi to publish on his X account, Khaminwa said history shows that revolutions the world over have always had dire consequences and often left countries rugged.
“I have never forgotten my experience of what I saw in Uganda when Amin Dada came into political power in Uganda; chaos, murders, kidnaps, the collapse of the economy, rape, etc,” Khaminwa said.
“One learns a lot about human nature when he has access to history. Our youths have spoken. They have been heard by the establishment. Let them not go further, to do so would bring disaster as there would be no Kenya to talk about and complain against,” he added.
Khaminwa’s statement came on a day when youthful protesters were engaging police in running battles across the streets of Nairobi and other urban centres in the country to demand accountability from the government.
The protests have persisted even after the President ceded ground and withdrew the contentious Finance Bill, 2024 which sparked the mass demonstrations on June 18.
Not even the sacking of his entire Cabinet save for one has appeased the young protesters now popularly known as Gen Z who have intensified calls for better governance.
Khaminwa reminded the disgruntled Kenyans that there come a time when the country comes first even in the face of persistent suffering which he acknowledged dates back to the colonial era.
“A little young girl sang a song in Kiswahili "Tusahau yaliyopita tujenge Taifa" (Let’s forget the past). This song speaks volumes. Mzee Jomo Kenyatta's book "Suffering without bitterness "also speaks Volumes,” he said.
Khaminwa pointed out that Kenya has previously experienced murders, assassinations, torture, detentions without trials and kidnaps but “we have however, deliberately avoided civil war or revolutions”.
“Take for instance Raila Odinga whom I visited at Manyani detention notwithstanding what he went through he still preaches peace. Take for instance, Gitobu Imanyara whom I witnessed being dragged from his home in the wee hours of the morning in the presence of his young children for fighting for human rights and the rule of law has retired without uttering a word that would promote a revolution,” he said.
The senior counsel further reminded Kenyans that some of the issues that have pushed them to the streets may be beyond the President’s capacity.
He said some of the issues they are bitter with are not exclusive to Kenya as other countries, including the most developed, are experiencing hard economic times.
“I think we should remind ourselves going through hard times economically may be due partly to the international politics and adverse effects of the war between Ukraine and Russia and what is going on in Gaza,” he said.
“Let us therefore not ignore what experts in economics and finance tell us that we should do. To ignore or rubbish what they say is likely to bring disaster.”
Back to the street protests, Khaminwa appealed to Gen Z to accord the leaders elected in the previous elections to complete their terms and come 2027, send home those they deem unfit to hold office.
He reminded them that all those they accused of being corrupt were voted into office by them.
“Let us give them a chance to serve us and kick them out of power come the next election. Incidentally, let us not forget that some of them are honest and hard-working. Not all are corrupt. Not all are dishonest,” he said.