Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi is optimistic that Kenya will emerge stronger and more united after reverberations of protests and calls for reforms in government.
Mudavadi said President William Ruto has keenly listened to public concerns following the collapse of Finance Bill last month and the government has swung into action.
“I want to assure Kenyans that we are determined to walk the straight and narrow path as a government with all Kenyans. It may not be easy and we know there are still more challenges to come but I want to assure the world that we shall emerge stronger and more positive as a united Kenya,” Mudavadi assured.
He acknowledged that the youth and all Kenyans have expressed themselves on how they know best and most of the pertinent issues have been taken into account.
“I want to assure Kenyans and the international community that the government has listened and initiated processes of tackling some of the concerns raised by the Kenyan youth who form a majority of our population at about 70 per cent,” said Mudavadi.
Mudavadi said that what is being experienced in the country currently is part of building a stronger democracy and enshrining the most acceptable tenets that will go a long way in shaping the socio-economic and political future of Kenya.
He emphasized the need for peace and tolerance saying the bedrock of any positive outcomes from government to citizens engagements require an accommodative environment where everyone’s rights are respected, views accommodated and the rule of law adhered to.
“Kenya has been fairly resilient under difficult circumstances, most of which have shaken the pillars and foundations of Kenya, but we have always emerged out of these challenges victorious,” noted Mudavadi.
He reminded Kenyans of the 1969 political crisis after the assassination of Tom Mboya, that of JM Kariuki in 1975, the 1982 attempted coup where many Kenyans lost their lives, the murder of then minister for Foreign Affairs Robert Ouko in 1990 and the political journey towards the multi-party regime in the early 1990s.
Mudavadi said Kenyans have learnt new lessons and approaches to getting solutions to the challenges facing the country citing that the current state is transient and with time Kenya will bounce back to its positive trajectory.
“We experienced another crisis during the 2005 referendum which was also very divisive and notably, after the 2007 general elections we had a golden opportunity to emerge from a deeper crisis where Kenya lost at least 1,400 people during the 2007/8 post-election violence that almost threw our nation to the woods,” he stressed.
Mudavadi further pointed out that Kenya boasts of her maturing democracy having undergone a situation where the country had to undertake a repeat Presidential poll after the Supreme Court nullified the 2017 Presidential election.
“We all witnessed what happened in the build-up to the last general elections of 2022, where the Bomas of Kenya turned chaotic ahead of the IEBC pronouncement of the Presidential elections. Some of the diplomats and observes had to be evacuated but still we remained resilient.” he said
He urged Kenyans to remain focused, and optimistic and have hope for a better future.
“The National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report for instance contains very many issues, which are at the heart of the people of Kenya today. The government and in particular the President, is putting in place measures and processes to address the issues among many others in a structured manner,” he said giving reference to the signing of the IEBC Amendment Bill (2024) and the dismissal of the cabinet as some of the steps that are already on course.
Mudavadi also the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary said this when he met various diplomats Sunday evening at the apex of the French Bastille Day celebrations held at the French embassy in Nairobi.
The Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs issued a special diplomatic apprisal Friday last week, updating the diplomatic and international partners fraternity of the ongoing state reforms.
The appraisal indicated the progressive reforms being undertaken and geared towards a genuine fulfilment of the citizens’ aspirations since the voice of the people matters.
“A few weeks ago, in the middle of the Kenyan crisis, the ambassador of France to Kenya came to see me and put forward a question on whether they should postpone the bastille day celebrations in Kenya or should it go on. I told him, do not postpone it let it go on. I stand here to salute him and the diplomats because during that moment by him agreeing that it shall proceed it sent a serious message of solidarity with the people of Kenya. Had it been differed then the signals could have been different. There could have been signals of either lack of confidence in the country or a signal that can generate panic and make us loose even some of the international support from the companies established in Kenya amid other benefits.” said Mudavadi.
He assured the diplomats of the government’s full support in their operations and called for continued collaboration and support.
