State to prioritise security over political popularity – DP Kindiki

The DP said attempts to destabilise the country as witnessed on Wednesday will not go unchallenged and those behind it will not be spared. 

“If you are involved in these criminal and terror activities we are coming for you. We would not wait for you to cause more deaths and destruction, we will come for you the way we have done with Al Shabaab terrorists,” DP warned.

Speaking on Friday during Empowerment of women, youth groups and small-scale traders at Kanyange in Kitui Rural Constituency, Kitui County, Prof. Kindiki said the protests had been taken over by criminal elements with ulterior intentions.

“We cannot allow Kenya to go to the dogs as we watch and laugh and make fun about it,” he said.

He said genuine protests by young people calling for proper use of public resources, good governance and development had been hijacked by criminal elements who perpetrated chaos and attacked government installations.   

“This will not happen again. I can assure you, it would not recur,” he said. 

The DP further added that the nation’s security and stability cannot be traded with anything including political popularity, pointing at targeted attacks at police stations and key government facilities.

“This is no longer a laughing matter. We won’t allow any attempt to destroy the security and stability of Kenya. We are willing to become unpopular politically but save the security and future of Kenya,” he noted.

He referenced the loss of hundreds of lives, destruction of property and economic devastation during the foiled 1982 coup attempt and the 2007/08 post-election violence saying similar happenings would not be allowed.

“It didn't take many hours to regain control from the coup plotters, but the number of lives lost and the kind of destruction witnessed was huge. The painful repercussions are still being felt today. It was a terrible day in our country’s history. It was the same during the 2007-08 violence. We would not allow the nation to go down that route again,” he declared. 

While assuring obedience to the Constitution and its stated freedoms, the Deputy President warned against mockery of the nation’s security. 

“We won’t interfere with the freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution but we would not allow anybody to attack security facilities, steal guns and ammunition in the name of exercising their rights. We will protect the nation’s stability and order,” DP reiterated 

At the same time, he promoted the importance of the empowerment program outlining its contribution in improving the people’s lives.

“We will continue empowering those at the bottom as opposed to waiting for electoral campaigns to dish out free things to entice them to vote for us.

We have witnessed how transformative empowerment is. That is why we would not stop this program” 

The DP who has recently spearheaded several empowerment events in the three counties in Ukambani—Machakos, Makueni and Kitui—said the region will not be discriminated against.  

“Every part of this country will benefit from the government's development agenda. In Ukambani, you pay taxes and you are entitled to development like every part of this country,” he assured.