Gen Zs urged to pause protests as goons infiltrate businesses, cause chaos

Anti-government protesters have been urged to pause their demonstrations after goons infiltrated the peaceful protests, turning them chaotic.

The Tuesday protests, which took place across several counties, led to widespread destruction of property, and looting, leaving business owners grappling with significant losses.

Among the affected were Qaffe Point Restaurant in Mombasa, Quickmart Supermarket in Mtwapa, and the Nairobi Expressway in Mlolongo.

Parliamentary Service Commission Commissioner Johnson Muthama urged authorities to identify and bring the culprits to justice.

“It is unfortunate that what started as peaceful protests has now been hijacked by opportunists and goons who are looting, creating mayhem, and destroying property and infrastructure. This has undermined the genuine protestors and their agenda. Respective authorities must take charge and identify these individuals so they can be brought to justice. Picketing is a constitutional right, but it must be exercised within the law,” he said.

Kanu chairman Gideon Moi condemned the acts of looting and emphasised that the chaos was aimed at discrediting genuine protesters.

He noted that over the past two weeks, the protests have been notably peaceful, characterised by participants carrying placards and water, and chanting in solidarity.

However, he said, Tuesday’s protests have been visibly infiltrated by a ragtag militia engaged in looting, vandalising property, and stealing from individuals.

“These evidently well-organized infiltrations are aimed at discrediting the genuine protestors,” he said.

He called on authorities to swiftly arrest those responsible for the chaos.

“We strongly condemn these acts of looting and vandalism. We urge genuine protestors to remain vigilant and to help identify and isolate individuals seeking to exploit the protests for their own gain. We call on security officers to swiftly arrest and charge these disruptive elements, while also ensuring the protection of the peaceful and unarmed protestors,” he said.

Digital strategist Pauline Njoroge appealed to the youth, particularly Generation Z, to call off the protests scheduled for this week to protect businesses from further attacks.

“Dear Gen Z, I strongly believe you should now release a poster cancelling the Tuesday and Thursday protests till further notice. Sponsored goons have taken over to destroy the image of the patriotic movement that you began, that saw the successful rejection of the Finance Bill 2024,” she said.

She encouraged the youth to continue with their activism through social media, maintaining pressure on the government for accountability and better governance.

“Calling off the street protests does not mean going silent. Maintain a strong voice in the very powerful social media space, relentlessly demanding better governance, accountability and citizen-friendly policies and legislations. But the streets are a no-go zone for now,” she added.

During a meeting with African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) bishops, President William Ruto vowed decisive action against the "goons" who invaded and torched Parliament Buildings during last week’s protests.

According to Ruto, the individuals responsible for the violence were criminals exploiting a peaceful protest against the Finance Bill, and they must face the full force of the law.

“Those who set fire at Parliament are not our children, those are criminals and we are going to search for them. They will not escape; you cannot destroy public property,” Ruto declared.

He emphasised that while the youth had the right to protest, it was unacceptable for a few individuals to engage in criminal activities under the guise of protesting.

“There is absolutely no reason why some individuals can engage in property destruction while purporting to be protesting,” he said.