Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has broken his silence over the ongoing wave of deadly protests across Kenya, delivering an emotional appeal for dialogue, accountability, and reform.
Speaking through a video , Matiang’i condemned the loss of young lives, describing recent scenes of unrest as “very sad and disheartening.” He said he had spent much of Wednesday watching live coverage of the protests, which erupted as a commemoration of last year’s anti-Finance Bill demonstrations. Human rights monitors reported several fatalities and hundreds of injuries.
“It is painful and hurting to see parents bury their children,” Matiang’i said. “Many of the young people we are losing are simply asking questions questions that are not just logical, but real and necessary.”
Matiang’i, who served in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration, criticised the government’s use of force and its unwillingness to listen to the public. He urged leaders to face the economic and social frustrations driving the unrest.
“The country is on tenterhooks,” he said. “The level of violence and destruction we’ve seen is unbearable. And we can’t pretend there are no issues. This is not about politics—it’s about real frustrations that must be addressed.”
Emphasising that the majority of Kenya’s population is under 35, Matiang’i warned against sidelining the youth’s voices, calling for urgent action on employment, education, and inclusion.
“These are not problems beyond our reach. These are things we can fix,” he stated.
The former CS also demanded an open public inquiry into the grievances raised by protesters, lamenting the government’s failure to fulfil previous promises made after past demonstrations.
Visibly emotional, Matiang’i criticised some leaders for using inflammatory language, urging unity and progressive leadership instead.
“We need warriors of progress, not warriors who carry pangas and rungus,” he said. “Let’s not lose hope. These challenges are real, but they are not insurmountable.”
He concluded with a call for all Kenyans to come together across generations and political divides to build a peaceful, inclusive nation.
