Jubilee Party leaders on Tuesday faulted senior government officials for hiding behind former President Uhuru Kenyatta to deflect attention from the biting economic crisis and spiralling fuel prices that sparked nationwide protests.
Leading the onslaught, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i said Kenya was “walking down to a crisis” because of what he termed as incompetence, arrogance, and mismanagement of the country by the Kenya Kwanza administration.
He also warned leaders against politicising public suffering and national security concerns.
“We are in a crisis. The challenges we face in this country have nothing to do with a tribe," Matiang'i said on Wednesday during a press briefing at the party's headquarters in Nairobi.
"You cannot say this problem has been brought up by a certain community or Uhuru. The worst mistake you can make as a government is to politicise national security issues," he warned.
The Jubilee Deputy party leader said ordinary Kenyans were struggling to survive under the weight of rising taxes, unaffordable school fees, and punitive levies, even as the government allegedly ignored public concerns.
“Where you go, you meet young men and women who have deferred university learning programmes because they cannot raise fees. Kids cannot go to secondary school because the fees are unaffordable. Yet leaders are busy spewing garbage instead of addressing the real crisis,” he said.
His remarks came as Jubilee intensified attacks against government officials whom the party accused of blaming Mr Kenyatta for the ongoing demonstrations against the high cost of fuel and living.
Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni claimed the recent protests were a spontaneous expression of frustration by Kenyans and not politically sponsored as alleged by government leaders.
“What we saw in the last two days is Kenyans themselves organising and saying enough is enough,” said Kioni. “Instead of people in power addressing the issues being raised, they are hiding behind Uhuru’s name.”
Their statements come against the backdrop of sharp exchanges between Kenya Kwanza leaders and the opposition over the nationwide protests that paralysed transport and businesses in several towns, including Nairobi.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen had earlier linked the demonstrations to political forces associated with the former President, accusing unnamed leaders of financing unrest to destabilise the government.
“We know there are people who are sponsoring chaos and using the suffering of Kenyans to pursue political agendas,” Murkomen said during a press briefing on Monday, warning that security agencies would firmly deal with organisers of violent protests.
Likewise, Hassan Omar, the United Democratic Alliance secretary general, accused elements within the former regime of orchestrating anti-government mobilisation under the guise of economic grievances.
But Jubilee leaders dismissed the accusations as diversionary tactics aimed at avoiding accountability over the soaring fuel prices and deteriorating economic conditions.
Matiang’i challenged the government to arrest and prosecute individuals involved in violence if indeed there was evidence of organised political sponsorship.
“If you want to prove us wrong, arrest those involved and present evidence instead of profiling communities and engaging in ethnic mobilisation,” he said.
Kioni further alleged that the government feared public scrutiny over an impending Finance Bill, which he claimed would worsen the economic burden on citizens.
“They have a Finance Bill that Kenyans must reject. That Finance Bill is coming to kill us completely. Stop hiding and stop looking for things to blind Kenyans,” he charged.
The Jubilee leaders also questioned the government’s handling of the economy, demanding transparency over the fuel pricing formula, utilisation of levies, and the securitisation of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund.
The party further raised concerns over reports that the World Bank had reportedly scaled back lending to Kenya, linking it to declining fiscal credibility and deteriorating confidence in the country’s economic management.
They demanded immediate and full disclosure on the fuel pricing formula, including all levies and their utilisation.
“We also demand an urgent recall of Parliament from recess to address the economic crisis and provide relief measures to Kenyans," said the party Secretary General, Moitalel Ole Kenta.
The opposition outfit also accused the government of presiding over rising corruption, land grabbing, and insecurity while ignoring the plight of struggling citizens.
The Jubilee officials also conveyed condolences to families that lost loved ones during the protests, blaming what they termed “inept governance” for the unrest and mounting public anger.