The Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry Moses Kuria says the government will not tolerate protests by Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition party leader Raila Odinga any more.
Speaking to BBC, Kuria said that the government will use tactics used by neighbouring Presidents Yoweri Museveni (Uganda) and Paul Kagame (Rwanda) to deal with their opposition leaders.
“We had very transparent elections, we went all the way to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court pronounced itself…every time coming to prosecute an election, then it means that we’re going to deal with him the way Paul Kagame deals with his opponents, the way Museveni deals with his opponent. There’s no other way,” Kuria said.
Not any more – Moses Kuria
Kuria accused Raila of holding previous regimes at ransom to have his way, maintaining that the Kenya Kwanza administration will not negotiate with him.
“He has had it good for too long. He had it with Kibaki, Kibaki is no more, he is dead and gone. He had it with Uhuru. He will not have it again, take it from me. There’s not going to be any dividend for democracy,” Kuria added.
“What is happening in Kenya has got nothing to do with the cost of living. It is just nothing but economic terrorism because our opposition is aware that we are on a takeover…but we’re going to do what we need to do.”
Museveni, Kagame tactics
In Uganda, President Museveni has been accused of using draconian tactics to silence his opponents, including arrests and torture. At the extremes, some of his opponents have been forced to flee the country fearing for their lives.
Among the recipients of President Museveni’s wrath include former Kyadondo MP Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known by his stage name Bobi Wine, former military officer Warren Kizza Besigye Kifefe and human rights advocate Stella Nyanzi.
Museveni has served as Uganda’s President for 37 years, as of January 2023.
In Rwanda, Paul Kagame has been accused of silencing his opponents to steer away from political competition. In 2019, three top officials of the opposition party Forces Democratiques Unifiees (FDU) were killed or disappeared. Although there was no direct link between Kagame and the deaths, many international bodies pointed fingers to the administration.
Among those who were killed or made to disappear include FDU national coordinator Sylidio Dusabumuremyi who was stabbed to death at his workplace, high ranking FDU legislator Eugene Ndereyimana who disappeared and has never been found and Anselme Mutuyimana, a spokesman for the same party, was found dead in the forests of western Rwanda.
