It won’t matter who was right but who is left- State house communication Director
State house communication director, Gerald Bitok has decried the poor state of the country as a result of protest.
The statement read;
The scenes witnessed today are extremely heartbreaking. While the concept of public demonstrations and protests, Maandamano, has historically played a significant role in bringing about fundamental changes in the country, the current situation appears to be a zero-sum game with no winners but losers.
The right to engage in peaceful demonstrations and picketing is not only enshrined in our constitution but also available to all Kenyans, regardless of their background, as a means to express dissatisfaction with government policies or the conduct of elected officials.
However, this right comes with a responsibility and patriotic duty for protestors to ensure that their activities remain peaceful, without causing harm to lives or property. Anything beyond this infringes upon the rights of other Kenyans to conduct their daily affairs and is therefore akin to lawlessness and terrorism.
Even more importantly, in a mature democracy like ours, the opposition has an established platform in parliament to act as a check and balance on the government, holding them accountable for their actions.
Any genuine and meaningful dissatisfaction with the government should ideally be expressed through this channel. Interestingly, both the Kenya Kwanza and Azimio La Umoja coalitions initially formed a bipartisan team to address these issues through structured dialogue. It is unclear why or if they have since abandoned these engagements.
Unfortunately, it is highly regrettable when politicians manipulate the emotions and frustrations of innocent Kenyans, engaging in counterproductive political activities that hampers the very goal of reducing the high cost of living it claims to support, as it disrupts business activities and creates instability.
As such, the cause loses its pretence of genuineness and gradually degenerates into a desperate attempt to exploit the poor for political gain.
Moreover, clashes between unruly protestors and the police force sometimes result in unintended loss of life, as authorities attempt to prevent property destruction. This situation is detrimental to everyone involved and serves no beneficial purpose.
When all is said and done, we will all need a country to live in, and when the guns finally go silent, it won’t matter who was right but who is left.
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