As Kenya approaches the June 25 anniversary of the historic 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, the Kikuyu Council of Elders has issued a strong appeal for national peace.
Speaking after a General Council meeting at their head office in Ruaka, the elders urged Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) to decisively crack down on hired thugs looking to disrupt the upcoming Gen-Z commemorations.
Reading the official statement, Council Secretary General James Nene emphasized that as custodians of community wisdom, the elders are duty-bound to advise the nation and sound the alarm on emerging threats to stability.
The Council noted that while Kenya has generally enjoyed harmony among its diverse ethnic groups, politically driven violence in 1992, 1997, and 2007 serves as a grim warning. They cautioned that current political rhetoric and reports of planned chaos in urban centers could easily derail the country’s peace.
The elders raised particular concern over allegations that political actors are using illicit funds and organized militias to stir up trouble, warning that such actions risk plunging Kenya into severe instability akin to the ongoing crisis in Haiti. Furthermore, they advised citizens not to allow themselves to be manipulated by political promises of compensation for past victims, pointing out that such funds come directly from taxpayers and shouldn’t be weaponized for political mileage.
Echoing these remarks, the Council’s National Chairman Wachira Kiago urged Kenyans to reject violent retaliation, which only stalls development and costs lives. He called on all branches of government—the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary—to actively protect the country.
Youth representatives at the briefing also spoke up, asking their peers to keep the peace while honoring fallen protestors. They announced that participants will carry national flags, white handkerchiefs, and water to symbolize peaceful remembrance, but demanded that the police shield them from criminals seeking to infiltrate and loot their events.
