NAIROBI, Kenya — A political firestorm is brewing once again, and this time it’s Raila Odinga’s inter-generational dialogue proposal that’s in the crosshairs.
A group of lawmakers allied to embattled former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has come out swinging, flatly rejecting Odinga’s proposed national talks as nothing more than a smoke-and-mirrors act designed to protect political dynasties.
At a fiery press briefing in Nairobi, Murang’a Senator John Nyutu and Naivasha MP Jane Kihara led the charge, calling the dialogue plan a “misleading and self-serving” move that ignores the pressing realities faced by Kenya’s youth.
“This dialogue isn’t about young people—it’s about recycling power and shielding entrenched interests,” Kihara said, clearly unimpressed by the handshake-style politics making a comeback in the national discourse.
But the criticism didn’t stop at ideas. The MPs expressed deep concern over the recent nationwide protests, warning that what began as civil unrest is rapidly morphing into what they termed a “targeted war” against specific communities.
Though they stopped short of naming names, the legislators accused some sitting MPs of allegedly hiring goons to fan the chaos—looting businesses, torching properties, and fanning ethnic tensions.
It’s the kind of claim that raises eyebrows—and blood pressure.
In one of their most serious moves yet, the Gachagua-allied group demanded Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula launch a formal Commission of Inquiry into the July 7 Saba Saba demonstrations.
They insist that the time for accountability for lives lost during protests is now.
If local mechanisms fail, the MPs warned they’ll knock on the door of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to demand justice for the victims.
“The bloodshed cannot go unaccounted for,” one MP declared. “President William Ruto has failed in his duty to uphold the Constitution and protect Kenyans equally.”
With the youth-led movement gaining momentum, and factions like Gachagua’s Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) rejecting elite-led dialogues, Kenya’s power struggle is becoming increasingly volatile and fragmented.
