UDA-nominated senator Karen Nyamu has fired back at former President Uhuru Kenyatta, accusing him of incitement in the wake of the bloody protests on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
At least 10 protesters were killed, and several others injured, prompting Uhuru to issue a statement calling for calm in the country.
In a statement on the evening of Tuesday, June 25, 2024, Uhuru said the right to protest is enshrined in the Constitution and the leaders had an obligation to listen to the people.
“I come to you with a heavy heart. Saddened by the loss of lives occasioned by the current situation prevailing in our country. it is the right of every Kenyan to protest as determined as determined by the constitution we all promulgated in 2010. It is also the duty of leader sto listen to those they lead,” Uhuru said.
Calling for dialogue and restraint from the State, Uhuru urged leaders to recognise that the power and authority they have are bestowed on them by the public.
“At this trying time for our Country, I want to remind all leaders that they were elected by the people. Listening to the people is not a choice but a mandate enshrined in the principles of our constitution and in the very basis and philosophy of democracy,” the former Head of State added.
“Leaders must know that power and authority they have is donated to them by the people. I therefore call for calm and for the leadership to show restraint and do the right thing by listening to the people and not be antagonistic to them. Violence on either side is not the answer
Uhuru called for dialogue, urging the leaders to iron out the contentious issues amicably with the protesting citizens without confrontations.
“As your former president, I have felt the weight and the difficulty of leading Kenya. I therefore pray for wisdom and civility to be established and for peace and progress to belong to all of us as children of Kenya,” Uhuru stated.
Karen Nyamu quickly slammed Uhuru’s statement claiming he was inciting Kenyans.
In a post on Instagram on Wednesday, the UDA-nominated senator said Uhuru ought to call Ruto and not to ‘incite’ Kenyans.
“Uhuru Kenyatta you’re an inciter. You’re supposed to gibe HE Ruto a call and share your insights not incite the public with a letter repeating the same 2 points 4 times. Wee mzee,” Karen Nyamu wrote.
The senator, a strong supporter of the government, earlier expressed her outrage over the use of live bullets by police snipers who killed protesters who stormed Parliament building.
“Why shoot to kill??!! Why fire live bullets at unarmed protesters? Explain! Is parliament more important than the lives of our children? They just wanted to be heard,” she lamented on social media.
Nyamu also called on President Ruto to take immediate action against the police officers involved in the shooting, describing their actions as unprofessional and damaging to his administration.
“President William Samoei Ruto, it’s time to take action against those unprofessional officers who killed protesters! They are tarnishing your administration in the worst manner! You’re just raising revenue, we are not at war!!”
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