Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has absolved Gen Z protesters from blame over the recent wave of looting and arson across the country.
Instead, he attributed the violence to “criminals who infiltrated peaceful demonstrations.”
Speaking during an inspection tour of the Pyrethrum Processing Company of Kenya factory in Nakuru, Kagwe condemned the destruction.
He particularly singled out the looting of fertilizer worth millions from government stores, supermarkets and burning down of police stations.
Kagwe urged citizens to safeguard public property, emphasizing that its destruction ultimately harms local livelihoods.
“This is your factory. It may be government-owned, but you are the ones who work here. If it is shut down, you will suffer,” he stated.
He called for individual and collective responsibility in protecting infrastructure, stressing that peaceful protests, a constitutional right, should not be hijacked by vandalism.
Referencing France, where frequent demonstrations rarely escalate into destruction, Kagwe emphasized the need for order.
“In France, protests happen daily, yet property remains untouched. People voice grievances peacefully and are heard. Kenya must ensure criminals don’t exploit our youth to create chaos,” he said.
The CS warned against allowing Kenya’s democracy to descend into anarchy, reiterating the government’s commitment to protecting both the right to protest and public assets.