Social justice movement Bunge la Mwananchi now wants President William Ruto to discard the names he nominated for Cabinet positions on Friday and give Kenyans another list.
The group said they understood the position of the President but wondered how the nominations showed his good faith and genuine care for the issues raised by the youth.
“We demand that President Ruto does away with the nomination he has done and do a fresh one that reflects the face of the nation,” said political activist Calvince Okoth, aka Gaucho.
Addressing a press conference in Nairobi, Gaucho further insisted that Kenyans who were arrested during protests must first be released before there can be any dialogue to address the country’s crisis.
Bunge la Mwananchi further said those who were injured must also be compensated and their hospital bill cleared by the government.
“Also, police officers involved in harming and killing protestors must be arrested and prosecuted immediately,” said Gaucho.
He said Bunge la Mwananchi supports the ongoing discourse being championed by the Gen Zs and the Millennials.
“Theirs is a righteous cause, demanding for the rule of law, liberation from a rigged economy, skewed political system defiled by tribalism, parochial interests and unholy accumulation of wealth at the expense of the masses,” he stated.
Gaucho said Bunge la Mwananchi relates to the concerns of the people, including the collapsed healthcare system, a failing education system and an unacceptably high cost of living.
“We wholeheartedly endorse the agitation for fairness, rule of law, constitutionalism and social justice,” he added.
Gaucho urged the youth to preserve the integrity of the country.
“We fully associate ourselves with the cause and statement of Opposition chief Raila Odinga. Like he said this morning, while dialogue is the way out of the current crisis, the same must be predicated on good faith,” he explained.
Bunge la Mwananchi further demand that abductions and other offensive and illegal techniques used by police be stopped forthwith.