Ichung’wah: Lives lost in Gen Z, Saba Saba protests were unnecessary

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has said the country should never have lost lives during the 2024 Gen Z-led demonstrations and the Saba Saba protests, describing the deaths as unnecessary and deeply regrettable.

Ichung’wah said the deaths that occurred during the demonstrations were a painful reminder of the cost of political conflict, urging leaders and Kenyans alike to reject violence in the pursuit of political goals.

Speaking while reflecting on the past year, Ichung’wah said political differences should never result in the loss of innocent lives.

“We unfortunately lost people who we should never have lost. We must never lose people because of politics. It is because of retrogressive and backward politics that innocent people end up losing their lives,” he said during an interview at KTN.

Ichung’wah also reflected on other difficult moments during the year, including the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, which he described as a major loss not only to the country but to the continent and the world.

“We have had those difficult times, and we thank God for the resilience and courage to be able to carry on,” he said.

The Majority Leader said the Kenya Kwanza administration had recorded notable gains despite political turmoil and economic pressures over the past two to three years.

Ichung’wah added that he now sees “a beam of light at the end of the tunnel” in terms of economic recovery.

“We have also had our wins, as difficult as it has been, the Kenya Kwanza administration, when it came to the office some two-three years ago, the economy was almost collapsing,” he said.

“When I talk about the wins, I look into the future and where we are today, I can see some beam of light at the end of the tunnel in terms of the economic turnaround, that is a win for me during the 2025 year that even in the political turmoil that was there in 2024-2025, we lost half the year in revenue generation and raising of taxes.”

He noted that political unrest in 2024 and 2025 had disrupted revenue collection and tax measures, costing the country significant time. However, he said the economy had shown resilience.

“As a country, we have been able to settle our debt, something many thought would never happen. We have stabilised the economy, and it is now on an upward trajectory, ready to take off.”

Ichung’wah said the economic stabilisation achieved during the year was a major win, even as the country navigated political challenges, and expressed optimism about the future.

“As a country and economy, we were resilient; we have been able to settle our debt, which everyone thought would never happen. We have stabilised the economy and is on an upward trajectory to take off.”