Nyali Member of Parliament Mohamed Ali has called on Kenyan youth to stop the nationwide anti-government protests, warning that they risk destabilizing the country.
The protests, which began last month to pressure legislators to reject the unpopular Finance Bill, 2024, have since evolved into resistance against President William Ruto’s administration. After Ruto announced last week that he would not assent to the Bill, the youth have been campaigning both online and on the streets for his resignation. They accuse the Kenya Kwanza administration of incompetence, neglect, corruption, and wasting public resources.
Ali, a member of Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party, expressed concerns that the demonstrations, now in their third week, are having serious economic consequences and risk driving the country into instability.
“You have no idea what an unstable country looks like; ask me, I have been to several countries which have been destabilized by dirty politics: South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda,” Ali said on Wednesday during a meeting with UDA legislators and religious leaders in Mombasa. “They were all good countries that were ruined by the youth through dirty politics and tribalism. Let us not waste our country because of the interests of some people.”
Ali claimed that the ongoing protests are backed by unnamed individuals with ulterior motives and urged the youth to stop them. “This is not about the Finance Bill; it was not about it. It is about something else, and people are taking advantage of that to destabilize our country,” he said.
In his view, Kenyans should give President Ruto’s administration space to lead and wait for the next General Election in 2027 to elect whoever they want. “People have the power to elect whoever they want in 2027. For now, let us allow President William Ruto to put his house in order. He has rejected the Bill and offered to have a discussion,” Ali said.
He also urged the youth to “give the police peace of mind.” “I will also go around the county preaching peace; I don’t care if I will be hit or not,” said the MP, whose office protesters stormed on June 24 over his absence at the National Assembly during the vote on the contentious draft law.
Ali, a former investigative journalist, also criticized the media for covering the protests, claiming it is detrimental to the country. “Stop participating in activities that will ruin this country. Learn to discern what to broadcast and what to censor,” he said.
As of Monday, 39 people had been killed since the anti-government demonstrations began on June 18, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. They reported 361 injuries, 32 cases of "enforced or involuntary disappearances," and 627 arrests of protesters. In Tuesday’s demonstrations, there are claims that hired goons infiltrated the largely peaceful protests to disrupt, loot, and plunder. Youth groups were seen charging at police with stones, breaking into premises, and burning others in several parts of the country.