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Jeremiah Kioni, the firebrand and outspoken Secretary General of the Jubilee Party and former Member of Parliament for Ndaragwa Constituency, has issued a clarion call to all Kenyans to take part in the NaneNane protests.
In a fervent appeal, he has urged citizens to join forces with the Gen Zs on Thursday, August 8, 2024, for a nationwide protest against the administration of President William Ruto. Speaking passionately in an exclusive interview with The Africana Voice at the Jubilee Headquarters in Nairobi, Kioni laid out his vision for a movement that could redefine the future of the nation.
“William Ruto and his entire administration have lost the capacity to lead,” Kioni declared, his voice a mix of resolve and frustration. As a close ally of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, Kioni did not mince words, accusing Ruto of squandering the opportunity presented by the June 25 protests. On that tumultuous day, an army of youth flooded the streets of Nairobi, overpowered the police, and stormed Parliament. They dined in the cafeteria, seized the symbolic mace, and even set parts of the building ablaze. The police’s response was brutal, using live ammunition to disperse the crowd, resulting in several deaths. That evening, Ruto condemned the protesters as dangerous criminals and terrorists in a televised address from the State House.
Reflecting on that day, Kioni said, “If I were the one in the office of the President, it called for a time to pause.” He emphasized the need for a different approach, one that would offer Kenyans a new lease of life and hope. “And you don’t do that by coming to insult them. He did not even condole with the families who had lost their loved ones,” Kioni lamented. He concluded that the President’s response to the protests made it clear that there is no hope in Ruto’s administration.
Kioni is now fully backing the Thursday protests, dubbed the NaneNaneMarch, and is encouraging all Kenyans to participate. He urged those unable to protest in the streets to show their support by staying home and not opening their businesses. “I feel NaneNane will be bigger than anything we have seen with the Gen-Zs so far,” Kioni predicted, noting that this time it will not be just the youth but people of all ages, including the parents and grandparents of the Gen-Zs.
In a surprising twist, Kioni claimed that even the police and military are sympathetic to the cause. “It is the whole country, including people in the forces. They may not say it, but when you come across them, they are not opposed to what is happening,” Kioni said. He attributed this to the widespread hardship felt across the country.
Kioni warned the Executive branch against using excessive force on the protesters, stating that the consequences would be severe. “I don’t think the outcome would be desirable for them,” he cautioned. Kioni stressed the importance of the protest’s success, arguing that cosmetic changes are not what the country needs. He referred to the recent sacking and reappointment of more than half of the cabinet secretaries, a move that fell short of the protesters’ demands for a complete overhaul.
Furthermore, Kioni criticized Ruto for appointing members of the opposition to his cabinet, accusing him of undermining multiparty democracy. He argued that Ruto’s incorporation of ODM party members into the Cabinet and his association with Raila Odinga were selfish moves aimed at self-preservation. “How can I win the election in 2027? That is the only thing Ruto is trying to answer,” Kioni said, adding that by focusing on the next election rather than the current crises, Ruto has “completely lost it.” He advised the President to help the country transition from his presidency to the next.
Kioni also blamed Ruto for failing to create jobs for the youth and for driving away investors. “To negotiate for them (the youth) to do some manual work out of the country is not something that any government wants to do,” Kioni said, criticizing Ruto’s recent claims of securing jobs for Kenyan youth abroad.
However, Kioni commended Kenyans in the diaspora for their continued support and solidarity with those back home. He criticized Ruto’s administration for imposing punitive taxes on the diaspora instead of creating a more conducive environment for them to invest in Kenya. “When you see them demonstrating in missions, it is because they are Kenyans out there, but they are feeling the pinch in Kenya,” he said.
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