Presidential advisor on Constitutional Affairs, Prof. Makau
Mutua, now says that Kenyans should be grateful to President William Ruto and
ODM leader Raila Odinga for coming together to save the country.
He said the two leaders putting their differences aside brought
about peace and stability in the country.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mutua said the two leaders saved
Kenya from collapsing as a result of the 2024 anti-government protests led by
the Gen Zs.
He insisted that, should the country have continued on that
trajectory, it would now be in a very bad state.
“We as Kenyans ought to be grateful to Raila Odinga and
President William Ruto for coming together to save the country from the
precipice, which they did. If those things happened, we would be in a very bad
state. They saw it fit to come together to make sure that there was a measure
of peace and stability, and then the business of politics can continue in the
usual manner in a democracy,” Mutua said on Citizen TV.
He reiterated that there would be no Kenya today, should
such violent acts have continued and that it is something he would not wish on
any country.
The Professor of Law cited neighbouring countries which have collapsed after what started as protests turned into violence.
Mutua said the Gen Z demos in Kenya against the Finance
Bill, 2024, had turned into violence and something needed to be done to stop it.
“If there is no peace, there likely will be no country. On
the continent, states collapse, some of them are our neighbours, and that is not
something I would wish on any country.”
During the interview, he also defended his role as Chairman
of the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public
Protests, insisting that his job is not to sanitise or defend wrongdoing.
He added that his only value to President William Ruto’s
administration lies in telling the truth, and should there be something that conflicts
his conscience, he would quit.
“You can take it to the bank that I am not in this
government to whitewash or cover up anything, and I can tell you that if things
happen that I am not happy with, or that my conscience cannot live with,” he
said on Citizen TV.
“I will move out because I will not be of any use to the
government or the President if I cannot tell him the truth. I'm here because
I'm able to tell him the truth."
