Stop attacks on Mt Kenya youth, Azimio tells State

Azimio la Umoja insisted yesterday that it would resist Kenya Kwanza regime’s alleged persecution of youths from Mt Kenya under the guise of fighting the proscribed Mungiki criminal group.

The political outfit made the vow even as it called for a stop on what its leaders termed as unwarranted and uncalled for attacks on retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua, who addressed a press conference in Nairobi, added that they will continue monitoring, documenting and responding to emerging policy and human rights issues affecting the Mount Kenya region and adherence to the rule of law.

“Kenya Kwanza regime in its evil design to impoverish the people of Mt Kenya must be reminded that it is not possible to legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity,” said Karua in a statement she read on behalf of Azimio team.

Karua charged that many of the tax measures contained in the finance bill currently before Parliament are unreasonable and clearly directed at Mt Kenya businesses.

“The proposed turnover tax is basically a tax on assets whose primary objective is to impoverish the mama mbogas, boda boda and other vulnerable Kenyans struggling to make a living in these difficult economic circumstances. The majority of these small businesses are owned by men and women from Mt Kenya region,” said Karua.

Yesterday, Azimio luminaries led by opposition chief Raila Odinga, Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua, Democratic Action Party (DAP) leader Eugene Wamalwa, Roots party leader Prof George Wajackoya and former Muranga County boss Mwangi Wa Iria, called out the Kenya Kwanza administration to stop profiling Mt Kenya Youth.

They called on critical institutions among them the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to investigate the conduct of police at DCI offices and raids on Maina Njenga homes and the statements by government officials on the resurgence of the Mungiki sect.

Resist vehemently

“Any attempts to profile and vilify the community and claw back gains made will be resisted vehemently. Maina’s treatment laid bare the determination of the regime to weaponise state agencies to harass and intimidate Mount Kenya Leaders,” said Karua.

She went on: “We are seeing the profiling of Mount Kenya youth as Mungiki which amounts to an attempt by the regime to create an artificial crisis to justify violence against innocent young Kenyans. It is our position that profiling the Mount Kenya Youth will not solve this regime’s problems, it will only derail the healing process.”

The opposition leaders  told off their political opponents that, profiling youths  will equally not help the Mount Kenya youth overcome the many challenges driving them into despair, adding that it will worsen the problem.

Karua reminded the country that, the Kikuyu community witnessed a massive effort to cut down and humiliate its leaders like James Gichuru, Njoroge Mungai, Mbiyu Koinange, Waruru Kanja, Bernard Hinga and Mwai Kibaki immediately Jomo Kenyatta left the stage.

“We must remind the people of Kenya that the violence meted on Kenyans and particularly the Kikuyu nation in 1992, 1997 and 2007/2008 was started and sustained by senior government officials some of whom are serving in this regime.  Those who faced ICC charges over the 2007/2008 violence must be reminded that killing witnesses was not escapatory,” said Karua.

She further reminded the people of Mt Kenya that the attempt to target, isolate and finish the established leaders and political parties of the region has happened before, with grim consequences.

According to Karua, the invasion of Jubilee Party is an attempt to cripple Mt Kenya leadership and create a crisis of governance of political parties in the region, adding that the vilification of Azimio chair President Uhuru is part of the evil scheme to subdue a whole community and region.

“It is apparent that destabilisation of Jubilee Party and the destruction of established political leaders of the region is a do-or-die agenda of Kenya Kwanza regime, sponsored by the highest-level Kenya Kwanza leadership to ensure Mt Kenya region has no serious political party to challenge anti-Mt. Kenya policies that appear to be driving the decisions of this regime.”