Kagwe described the acts of violence and vandalism as deliberate and coordinated, claiming they were carried out by people exploiting the protests to hide criminal activity.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has raised concern over the rising infiltration of youth-led protests by criminal elements, warning that such actions threaten to derail the purpose of peaceful demonstrations.
Speaking on Friday during a tour of Nakuru, Kagwe affirmed the constitutional right of Kenyans to picket and protest but decried recent acts of vandalism and destruction that have marred what began as orderly civic expression by the Gen Z movement.
“It is not our children. It’s not the Gen Z demonstrators who were doing those things,” Kagwe said, distancing the youth from recent attacks on public property.
He pointed to the destruction of National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) facilities in Maua, Meru County as a clear example of the protests being hijacked.
“Hio ni ugaidi. Hiyo sio mambo ya Gen Z, msidanganywe na mtu,” he said in Swahili, emphasizing that the attack was not the work of youth but of organized criminal elements.
“Ati ni watoto wenu walivunja uko Maua ama police station? Sio watoto wenu,” he added.
Kagwe described the acts of violence and vandalism as deliberate and coordinated, claiming they were carried out by people exploiting the protests to hide criminal activity.
“These things are planned by criminals. Wale mnasikia wanaingia supermarkets is not these young people,” he said.
“Kuna watu ambao wanajua kuna protests mahali alafu wanapanga hiyo maneno so that they can hide behind the demonstrators.”
He urged citizens to take responsibility in protecting both public and private infrastructure, calling on communities to distinguish between genuine protestors and criminals using the unrest to cause harm.
“We are asking you to be vigilant as citizens of the country. Take citizen responsibilities and protect what we have so that we don’t lose our livelihoods and so that we don’t destroy what we have got in our hands.”
Kagwe also reiterated that peaceful protest is a democratic right, but stressed that civic action must remain lawful and nonviolent.
“Demonstrations ni sawa. It is protected in our Constitution. People can demonstrate peacefully without a problem. You know there is a demonstration in France every day and nothing ever gets destroyed,” he said.
He warned that if unchecked, violence masked as protest could erode the democratic gains Kenyans have fought for.
“We must make sure that criminals do not hide behind our children so that they can destroy the livelihoods we have,” Kagwe said.
“This is not politics; it is the truth. As citizens we should protect our democracy so it never becomes anarchy. We need to protect ourselves.”
Widespread Looting and Vandalism Reported During June 25 Protests
The remarks by CS Kagwe come in the wake of widespread looting and vandalism reported during the June 25 Gen Z-led protests across various counties.
In Nairobi, traders around Bus Station, Mfangano Street, Khoja and Moi Avenue bore the brunt of the chaos. Shops were vandalised, boutiques ransacked, and some buildings set ablaze.
In Nakuru, protesters damaged public infrastructure, vandalized street lighting, and looted shops, with reports indicating that some businesses lost critical equipment such as gas cylinders and extinguishers.
In Embu County, six individuals were arrested for stealing electronics and other goods during the protests, including washing machines and steel wire.
In Meru County, criminals broke into the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depot in Maua and made away with over 7,000 bags of fertilizer valued at more than Ksh 29 million.
Security officials and leaders, including Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and Roads CS Kipchumba Murkomen, have confirmed that police stations were also targeted in the chaos, with several stations being set ablaze and firearms stolen.
The CS condemned the acts saying, “We condemn the criminal anarchists who in the name of peaceful demonstrations unleashed a wave of violence, looting, sexual assault and destruction upon our people.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua also shared similar sentiments, that protesters had nothing to do with the destruction.
Gachagua insisted the violence was not from within the Gen Z movement, which had remained peaceful.
He claimed the chaos were state sponsored, aimed at discrediting the protests and justifying a crackdown.