Anti-Gov’t protests: President Ruto accuses Azimio of sabotaging the economy

President William Ruto has termed the three-day protests by the opposition Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition as economic sabotage and affirmed that the government will not sit back and allow them to continue.

While on a development tour of Isiolo and Meru counties on Thursday, President Ruto said his administration will stand firm in protecting lives and property of every Kenyan.

“Every part of Kenya has said we cannot sabotage our economy using violence and destruction of business and property. Kenya is the only place we have to call home, and we must protect it by all means,” he said.

The Head of State accused opposition leaders of using their supporters to trigger business paralysis and deny government taxes to run its affairs.

“Hata ukiweka sufuria kwa kichwa miaka kumi, bei ya unga haitapungua, ata ukifanya maandamano mwaka mmoja. Bei ya unga itapungua tukisaidia wakulima wazalishe chakula,” said President Ruto.

For the last one week, more than 30 people have died in the anti-government protests, with majority of them reported to have had bullet wounds.

On Wednesday alone, six people were shot dead by police following the ugly confrontation between the law enforcers and the protestors.

The President, while in Isiolo, did not condemn the killings but instead hailed police officers for clamping down on the anti-government protestors.

“Nataka niambie polisi wetu hongera kwa kusimama kidete na kuhakikisha kwamba kuna amani na wahalifu wote wanachukuliwa hatua,” he said.

President Ruto said the government was focussed on implementing its manifesto of creating one million jobs every year and asked the opposition to give the Kenya Kwanza administration space to deliver.

He said the youth have become casualties in street protests, and promised through his government to kickstart a massive job creation campaign in the country to keep the youth busy.

“Hawa vijana wetu ndio wanatumika kutupa mawe...I want to tell you we will start creating jobs for them so that our youth can become busy,” he stated.