Dagoretti South Member of Parliament John ‘KJ’ Kiarie has issued a public apology over his dismissive remarks on the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests where he argued that the photos used to represent the demonstrations were doctored.
In a statement on Monday, June 24, 2024, KJ Kiarie indicated that his words were misguided, insensitive and unnecessary.
According to Kiarie, he was carried away by the heat of the moment during the debate in the National Assembly.
“I truly apologise for the comments I made regarding the protests and the authenticity of certain images,” his statement read in part.
“In the heat of the moment during the debate on the finance bill, my words were unnecessary, misguided and insensitive,” he added.
Kiarie noted that he has been compelled to retract his statement and apologise after deep introspection and reflecting on the issues raised by thousands of youth who thronged various towns across the country to push for total rejection of the Finance Bill 2024.
Kiarie detailed that he has discovered some of the issues being raised have bedevilled the country for a very long time and thus needed urgent intervention.
“I deeply regret my utterances and understand the anger and frustration that exists in our nation. Anger that stems from decades of unresolved, but potent national issues.
“Having been a part of movements for social justice and human rights in the past, I acknowledge the importance of vigilance and popular agitation for a better Kenya,” Kiarie explained.
Praise Gen Z
At the same time, the youthful lawmaker praised the youth for being bold and facing the government head-on over various issues affecting the country.
He also lauded them on how effectively they have used social media not only as a tool of mobilisation but also for creating awareness over various undoings.
“I appreciate the courage and creativity shown by the younger generation in advocating for change through innovative means, including social media and other emerging technologies.
I am sincerely sorry for any provocation, hurt or confusion my words may have caused. I definitely have learnt a lot from this and also from all the active listening and engagements that I have been doing this weekend,” Kiarie wrote.
Initial remarks
Initially, Kiarie dismissed the protests claiming that some of the photos shared online were either old or doctored to drive an agenda as they did not represent the true state of affairs.
“The committee was already in the process of engaging Kenyans way before a fake protest was organised… Some of the photos we were seeing, I can tell you as a graphic editor, that they do not belong to this country,” he stated in Parliament.
His sentiments attracted widespread condemnation with some even confronting him during a function at his constituency forcing him to cut his speech short.
Before you go…how about joining our vibrant Telegram and WhatsApp channels for hotter stories?
Telegram: https://t.me/k24tvdigital
WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaKQnFUIXnljs50pC32O
