Hours after President William Ruto and Azimio Leader Raila Odinga called for dialogue to end Gen Z protests, the Senate on Wednesday, July 10, presented proposals aimed at addressing their demands.
In a motion titled "The Current State of the Nation," Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi presented seven proposals to address the political unrest largely led by Gen Z.
The joint team acknowledged that the issues raised by Gen Z and other members of the public needed immediate attention. These issues include corruption, impunity, incompetence in government, and lack of meritocracy in public appointments. Additional concerns include the opulent lifestyle of leaders in the Kenya Kwanza administration, as well as unemployment and the high cost of living.
The first proposal made by the Senate is to have the National Assembly expeditiously consider the presidential memorandum on the rejection of Finance Bill 2024 in its entirety.
Aaron Cheruiyot and Opiyo Wandayi also called for the prompt implementation of austerity measures across all government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as constitutional commissions and independent offices.
The third proposal urges the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and other government multi-sector agencies in the governance, justice, law, and order sectors to upscale and make concerted efforts to fight corruption.
To end Gen Z protests, the National Police Service has been asked to cease abductions, unlawful arrests, and extra-judicial killings, and to exercise restraint in dealing with peaceful and unarmed demonstrators.
The fifth proposal calls for the release of all persons arrested for planning and participating in peaceful demonstrations relating to the enactment of the Finance Bill.
Ruto and Raila’s team further proposed that the government waive hospital bills for persons injured and settle funeral expenses for those who lost their lives during the demonstrations.
Lastly, the Judiciary has been asked to prioritize and expedite all court cases relating to the enactment of the Finance Bill and the resultant demonstrations.