DP Gachagua pleads with the youth to call off anti-Finance Bill protests

In a press briefing at his Mombasa residence on Wednesday, Gachagua acknowledged the government's failure to listen to the public sentiments of those who demanded that the entire Finance Bill be rejected.

He attributed the matter to a dysfunctional National Intelligence Service led by Director General Noordin Haji. 

In what was dubbed as 'One Million March' Kenyan youth had scheduled to march to State House to protest against the killing witnessed during the protests and seek to remove President William from office. 

"As Deputy president and patriotic son, I want to appeal to Gen Z to call off the protests for tomorrow because their cry has been heard by the president. He has accepted that there was a disconnect and it is only fair we call off the protests so that we don't have further loss of lives and destruction of property," Gachagua said. 

"It is an appeal I have made as a father and a parent. To our young generation, we love you and respect you. Please my sons and daughters, I plead with you to save lives, make an announcement this evening and call off the protests."

The deputy president noted that the president would have heeded Kenyans' cries had he received the proper intelligence from the NIS. 

"Had the NIS briefed the president two months ago about how the people feel about the Finance Bill, so many Kenyans would not have died," Gachagua said. 

"They slept on the job, it had to take people to die, protests across the country for the president to know the truth."

The DP blamed NIS director Noordin Haji for the chaos that erupted across the country and demanded that he be held accountable for the bloodshed witnessed during the protests.

He reiterated his call for Haji's resignation and urged Ruto to recall three previously fired directors in order to restore dignity to the office.

"Senior officers have told me that they did not have advanced intelligence about the intensity of the protests. Because of inferiority complex, he (Noordin Haji) chased away all the people senior to him therefore crippling that service," he remarked. 

"Haji must take responsibility for the deaths that occurred, for the mayhem, for failing Ruto and failing the country. He must do the honourable thing and resign from his position."