Azimio La Umoja One Kenya leader Raila Odinga has emphasised the need for action to be taken against the infiltration of Gen Z protests by goons.
According to Odinga, the goons terrorized demonstrators and he termed it as a betrayal of the youth.
“What started as an expression of disaffection with the government by young Kenyans through peaceful protests and presentation of petitions to authorities degenerated into chaos and mayhem yesterday,” he said.
Odinga highlighted that individuals who were not part of the original Gen Z protesters hijacked the movement, leading to looting, attacks on innocent citizens, and destruction of critical infrastructure.
He also mentioned reports of innocent women being harassed and raped during the protests.
He emphasized that the actions of these criminals posing as protestors were vastly different from the peaceful demonstrations led by the Gen Zs.
He further condemned both police brutality against peaceful protestors.
“I extend deep sympathy to the families who’ve suffered at the hands of looters posing as Gen Z protestors, innocent people who’ve seen their business premises broken into, their products looted,” he said.
He underscored that the original purpose of the protests was to address injustices in the country peacefully and educate others on the effectiveness of civil protests.
He described the hijacking of the movement by criminals as a double betrayal of the youth and called for an end to their disruptive actions.