Governor Johnson Sakaja of Nairobi has firmly denied allegations linking him to a scheme involving the hiring of goons to disrupt anti-government protests. These protests, which took place on Tuesday, July 2, turned violent, resulting in looting and destruction.
During a press briefing on Thursday, July 4, Sakaja stated he was not in Nairobi during the protests. “I saw a clip on Tuesday of alleged goons coming out of City Hall, which I asked to be investigated. I was on the coast; we’ve been there for the whole week with our Cabinet, just doing our end-of-year retreat and planning for this new financial year,” he explained.
Sakaja emphasized his commitment to peaceful politics and freedom of expression, irrespective of political affiliations. He stressed, “I would hate it that something like that would have been planned from City Hall, from whomever it is. Normally, when we are in such a situation, the first casualty is the truth. Opportunistic politicians even try to bring themselves into such to taint their opponents.”
The governor strongly refuted claims of his involvement in planning the violence. “If somebody would try to claim that I, the governor, was meeting to plan violence while I was in Diani with my Cabinet from Sunday, and number two, I have always believed in siasa safi; I’ve always believed in that freedom of expression even when it is not within my political side of the equation,” he asserted.
Governor Sakaja called for a thorough investigation into the matter to uncover the truth, emphasizing the need for accountability and transparency in such sensitive situations where misinformation can easily spread.
In an undated video that has since gone viral, two alleged instigators voiced their grievances, claiming to be part of a group of 50 individuals hired to disrupt the protests. They stated they were provided with weapons and received only partial payment for their actions. “We were asked to arrive at the renowned Nairobi building very early in the morning. Of the 50 of us, we were all given batons. We accepted and destroyed businesses as requested. Right now, you are not picking up our calls. Why are you doing this to us? Whatever you gave us in the morning was a down payment. You will have to pay us! We do not want jokes,” they said in the video.
Throughout his statements, Sakaja reiterated his commitment to peaceful and honest politics, highlighting that freedom of expression is a fundamental right that should be respected, even when it involves opposing political views.
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