Busia senator Okiya Omtatah now claims that President William Ruto is the leader of the revolution being witnessed in the country occasioned by the countrywide protests.
Omtatah in a statement through his X account on July 16, 2024, pointed out that the government has been looking for the leader of the revolution as Ruto struggles to contain the situation.
“They have been looking for the leader of this revolution. President Ruto is actually the leader of this revolution. He’s the one doing the things that are annoying the people of Kenya,” said Omtatah.
The-activist-turned lawmaker has been a vocal supporter of Gen Z-led protests who have since started calling for a change in the country’s top leadership backed by consistent opposition of government policies.
Omtatah Joins Gen Z Concert
Omtatah was notably the only high-ranking politician who attended a Gen Z concert at Uhuru Park in Nairobi which honored Kenyans who had lost their lives during protests.
The senator’s remarks came at a time President Ruto had accused foreign powers of sponsoring the demonstrations.
Also Read: Omtatah Gives Demands to Ruto Over His “Criminals” Remarks
According to Ruto, the said sponsors have been hiring goons to tarnish the peaceful demonstrations.
The Head of State has firmly expressed his conviction that the destruction of the country’s critical infrastructure including Parliament buildings was done by the hired young goons whom he has termed as criminals.
However, the President on Monday, July 15 accused American Private Non-Governmental-Organization (NGO) Ford Foundation of sponsoring violence during the anti-government protests.
American NGO Called Out
Ruto, while speaking in Nakuru claimed that the Foundation hired goons to cause mayhem during the protests which led to the destruction of property and looting of businesses.
Also Read: Govt Goes After Six Politicians and NGOs for Hiring Goons During Protests
“I want to request Ford Foundation officials to tell us the money they are giving out to cause chaos what is the benefit? he posed.
He further said that his government will not spare anyone bankrolling young Kenyans to cause mayhem in the streets during peaceful protests.
“We have no use for anarchy and destruction of property. Those sponsoring that violence, we know you and I want to call out those who are behind the anarchy in Kenya, those behind sponsoring the chaos in Kenya, shame on them,” noted Ruto.
President Ruto also took to his X account minutes later after his public engagement reiterating his claims, calling out the American Foundation to clear the air on the matter and rebut the allegations.
“Our youth are not available for retrogressive assignments. Those sponsoring them to cause violence and mayhem must be ashamed of themselves. We ask the Ford Foundation to explain to Kenyans its role in the recent protests,” he wrote.
Earlier, the government had claimed that six unnamed politicians were the financiers.
The politicians, three from Nairobi, two from Central Kenya, and one from the Rift Valley region, a businessman and two NGOs were under police radar for their involvement.
The three factions were accused of mobilizing youths from various slums, providing them with cash handouts and instructions to escalate the protests into violence.
However, no arrests have been made following the accusations as countrywide protests entered fourth week on July 16.
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