Belgut MP Nelson Koch has said that retired president Uhuru Kenyatta’s comments on Friday, January 18, 2025, during his cousin’s funeral were taken out of context.
Speaking during a morning TV show on Monday, January 20, 2025, Koech revealed that Uhuru was merely responding to his niece who had travelled from Canada for Kibathi Muigai’s funeral.
“He was responding to a question by one of his nieces from Canada who was in the funeral that the former president was attending. Ngina had asked the former president to prevail upon the older family members to allow the young crop of family members to take up leadership positions and in that response, Uhuru did say that ‘I want to urge you young people to take up positions of leadership,” Koech said.
Fight for your rights
During the funeral of Kibathi who was a rally driver and the son of the first president Jomo Kenyatta’s only brother, Uhuru noted that the young people should stand up and take positions of leadership.
During the ceremony, Uhuru hailed Kibathi whom he said had remained resilient even after he was detained for six years during the Moi administration.
“Shida ya watu siku hizi, sijui mumeogopeshwa. Ma Gen Z nyinyi ndio the story of the future. Fight for your rights bwana.
“Sio kukaa hapo mali yenu ichukuliwe na nyinyi mumetolea jasho. Msikubali. Pambaneni muhakikishe mumepata haki yenu. Munasikia nyinyi? Sio kukaa kaa hapo tu.
“Hakuna kitu inadumu. But everything is worth a fight for. If you do not fight for it ikienda mtu asilie. Msimame mpiganie haki yenu na mko na hawa watu ambao wamebaki na wako tayari kupigania haki yao, waungane pamoja nanyi. You cannot just stand there and let people take your hard-earned sweat,” Uhuru said.
The statements by the former head of state elicited mixed reactions from across the political divide, with one side lauding him for standing up for the youth and the other chiding him for the sentiments.
During a school ceremony in Garissa on Sunday, January 19, 2025, Environment CS Aden Duale said that the former head of state’s appeal to the young people was unfortunate.
”It is very unfortunate if we the leaders, current and former, set the stage where we tell the young people of our nation to commit acts of violence and disobedience. I think by doing so, we lose the moral high ground,” Duale said.
Uhuru-Ruto meeting
The remarks came just weeks after President William Ruto met Uhuru at his Ichaweri home in Gatundu South where they discussed a range of issues.
“President Ruto took the opportunity to reiterate his appreciation and commendation of His Excellency President Kenyatta’s statesmanship in overseeing the peaceful transfer of power after the 2022 elections, as well as the goodwill the former President has continued to demonstrate toward his fellow leaders and his support for Kenya’s ongoing progress and development,” part of a State House statement read.
