Busia County Senator Okiya Omtatah has warned President William Ruto that he will be personally held liable for any violence that will be meted out against peaceful protesters.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, July 22, 2024, Omtatah said that he was disturbed by President Ruto’s tone when he addressed a crowd in Bomet County on Sunday, July 21, 2024.
Omtatah on Ruto’s threats
According to Omtatah, the Head of State’s tone indicated that he was ready to unleash violence on peaceful demonstrators.
“Yesterday, I was disturbed to see a visibly angry President William Samoei Ruto addressing a largely unresponsive crowd on the roadside in Bomet. It was really telling that the crowd did not enthusiastically endorse what the president was saying,” Omtatah said.
By narrating how Gen Zs invited him to X Spaces and apparently ran away, Omtatah says the President was angry for not getting the audience he has been seeking from the youth.
“The president looked really desperate and dangerous as he narrated how he had gone all his way possible for him, including presenting himself on an X Space, but had failed to get Gen Zs to stop their demonstrations and take part in a conversation or a discussion with him on the way out of the current crisis,” he stated.
Omtatah on Ruto ending protests
Omatah further pointed out that President Ruto had threatened to unleash on the peaceful demonstrators all the violence the state could master by stating that he would do everything possible to stop the protests.
“The president concluded his address by stating that going forward, he will now change tactics and do whatever it takes to save the country by forcibly ending the peaceful demonstrations. Clearly, he threatened to unleash on the peaceful demonstrators all the violence the state can master by threatening to do whatever it would take to save the country from the Gen Z demonstrations if they persist.
“The president sounded as though he wields unlimited power like the extinct federal emperors and kings of the Middle Ages in Europe. I can’t disagree with him more. Both the constitution and his oath of office limit his powers and forbid him from reigniting fire on peaceful demonstrators in the Republic of Kenya. For whatever reasons, he is bound to uphold the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and all the laws thereunder,” Omtatah stated.
Gen Zs have planned for protests on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, with a section of them threatening to occupy Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) during the protests.