President William Ruto now says Kenyans do not need to protest, even as youths push for nane nane march on Thursday, August 8, 2024.
Speaking on Wednesday in Iriari village in Embu County, Ruto said peace should prevail and called on Kenyans to reject destructive demonstrations.
"Sisi ni nchi ambayo tunaamini kwa amani. Hatutaki fujo katika taifa letu la Kenya. Hatutaki maandamano ambayo inaleta maafa, ambayo watu wanapoteza mali yao. Tunataka amani," he said.
This is loosely translated to, "We are a country that believes in peace. We do not want chaos in our nation Kenya. We do not want demonstrations that bring death and people losing their properties. We want peace."
On Tuesday, acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli assured of the National Police Service's preparedness to maintain peace across the country, on Thursday.
Speaking at the National Police Service Campus, Embakasi, after talks with regional police bosses, Masengeli said security will be heightened across the country though not to an extent that is out of the ordinary.
"Every Kenyan as per the law has liberty to demonstrate, picket and assemble as per the law. That one everyone is very much aware of and where the privilege of one ends is where the other starts," he said.
Masengeli said Kenyans are at liberty to demonstrate but peacefully and reiterated that they all have to live by the rule of law.
"We are governed by the Rome statute and the Kenyan Constitution," he said and affirmed that criminal elements will be dealt with firmly.
"On Gen Zs, they have a message and they have been heard. It is upon us now to differentiate between Gen Zs and opportunists who take advantage of those riots to cause mayhem, destruction of property and acts of violence that are not allowed by the Law."
Thursday demonstrations are expected to be the "mother of all protests' which began on June 18, 2024.
