The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party has accused the Azimio la Umoja coalition of hijacking the Gen-Z protests to further their own interests, which do not reflect the desires of the youth and Kenyans at large.
In a statement on Wednesday, the party’s Secretary-General Cleophas Malala said it is shameful that some politicians, who were rejected by the public in the last general election, are now seeking to gain political popularity from the current situation in the country.
“While we commend Gen-Z for maintaining peace during the protests, it is disheartening that certain selfish individuals within the political class and non-governmental organizations have taken over these protests to further their personal agendas,” Malala said.
Malala made these remarks shortly after one of the Azimio leaders, Kalonzo Musyoka, urged President William Ruto to sign the IEBC Bill that would facilitate the appointment of the chairperson and commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to organize early elections.
“Kenyan citizens have already shown that they have no confidence in this government. Therefore, we urge the President to sign the IEBC Amendment Bill so that Kenyans can have the opportunity to go back to the polls and elect new leaders to run the government.
“MPs are now afraid to go to parliament or their constituencies, so citizens should be given the chance to elect new MPs,” Musyoka said during a press briefing in Nairobi.
On Tuesday, the ODM party called on President William Ruto’s government to take responsibility for the deaths and injuries resulting from the protests, which have lasted for three weeks.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), 39 people have died and 361 have been injured due to police brutality against the protesters.
However, in his statement, Malala praised the police officers for not using excessive force when dealing with “criminals who caused chaos and looted property during the peaceful protests organized by Gen-Z youth.”