Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi has stepped up his criticism of politicians rallying Kenyans to mount street protests against the administration of President William Ruto, accusing them of pursuing narrow ambitions at the expense of public stability.
Speaking in Kisumu, Wandayi acknowledged that Kenyans hold an unquestionable right to express dissent, including through peaceful picketing. He argued however that a group of political leaders are manipulating that right for what he described as personal gain rather than genuine concern for national welfare.
Wandayi insisted that the Luo community remains aligned with the broad based government arrangement and that the partnership forged with the late opposition leader Raila Odinga continues to hold firm. He said the decision to cooperate with the Ruto administration had been agreed upon before Odingas death and would be honoured through 2032.
The minister urged residents across the Nyanza region to dismiss what he termed as dissenting voices within the political class. He claimed such leaders are driven by self promotion and not by any authentic obligation to the community.
His remarks received backing from Kisumu West MP Roza Buyu who echoed the call to resist attempts to pull the Luo community away from the government. Buyu argued that while the community has worked with previous regimes, it is only under President Ruto that they have been comprehensively included in national administrative processes.
Both leaders framed the appeal as a defence of political cooperation rather than a denial of public protest rights, even as tensions continue to simmer over the role of opposition movements and the governments response to public discontent.
