- Ichungwa had earlier said that the Gen Z group is composed of elites who rely on iPhones and online taxis to attend protests.
- Ichung'wah later apologised over the statement and complimented the Gen Z saying they have stepped forward as a unified force devoid of ethnicity.
Image: FILE
President William Ruto has said he personally corrected Majority leader Kimani Ichung'wah over his remarks on the Gen Z protesters.
The President made the remarks while fielding questions from the youth on X Space.
Ichung’wah had earlier said that the Gen Z group is composed of elites who rely on iPhones and online taxis to attend protests.
"After Kimani Ichung’wah made that statement, I called him, the next day he corrected his statements," the President said.
He revealed that as the Head of State, he also plays the role of mentor to young politicians whenever they err.
"I have a duty to mentor, they will make mistakes, they will exude some arrogance but partly it's because of inexperience," he said, adding that "I sometimes want to take responsibility".
In his remarks, Ichung'wah had insinuated that the youthful protesters were out of touch with the struggles of the ordinary Kenyan and had no reason to protest since they were living privileged lifestyles.
"The Gen Z have iPhones and use Ubers to protest. Wanatoka maandamano wanaingia KFC kukula kuku na minofu, maji ni ile ya chupa...si mliwaona? Hawajui shida ya stima ni kitu gani...wako na umeme 24/7," he said.
(After protests they get into KFC for chicken, they carry bottled water, didn'tyou all see them? They have electricity 24/7)
Ichung'wah later apologised over the statement and complimented the Gen Z saying they have stepped forward as a unified force devoid of ethnicity.
The Gen Z marshaled themselves online and gathered from different parts of the country in mass protests to reject the Finance Bill, 2024.
They piled pressure on the government over a myriad of issues sparked off by the unpopular Finance Bill.
The youthful Kenyans took the center stage and organised a series of mass demonstrations demanding that the government drops the Bill.
MPs, however, defied the calls and passed the Bill sparking further public outrage that led to destruction of property and loss of lives as police moved in to quell the riots.
The President eventually declined to sign the contentious Bill and asked Parliament to withdraw it by deleting all clauses.
The move, however, failed to appease the masses who have continued to protest and call for a raft of measures including slashing of public expenditure.
The President instituted formation of a National Multi-Sectoral Forum (NMSF) to spearhead talks aimed at resolving the issues raised.
The youths declined the invite to join the NMSF and demanded that the President addresses them on X Space.