- Internal Security Minister Kithure Kindiki revealed that a suspect was arrested near Parliament on June 27, plotting to set fire to the building after the June 25 protest.
- He said the suspect was found at 4am carrying fuel, allegedly intending to burn down Parliament, following a protest against the 2024 Finance Bill
- Kindiki defended the police response to the protests, comparing the situation to the riots of January 6, 2021, in the Capitol Building in the United States, emphasizing the need to protect institutions
- He acknowledged that there were deaths during the protests but insisted that protecting the constitutional institutions of Kenya is important for the life of the country
Nairobi – Minister Kithur Kindiki has revealed that there was a plot to set the Parliament on fire just a few days after the protest on Tuesday, June 25, which saw protesters storming the building.
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Speaking before the Parliament Committee on Security and Administration on Thursday, September 26, the Minister revealed that a suspect was arrested near the Parliament buildings, allegedly planning to burn it down.
Kindiki explained that the suspect was caught in the morning carrying fuel with the intention of burning down the legislative building.
“In fact, two days after the incident, after thwarting the efforts to burn the Parliament and kill the members, we arrested the suspect outside the Parliament at four in the morning carrying fuel intending to burn down the premises of the Parliament,” Kindiki told the committee.
Why did Kindiki defend the actions of the police?
Kindiki defended the police response during the protests, which resulted in the deaths of several people, explaining that police force was necessary.
He put the events in context by comparing them to the riots of January 6, 2021, of the Capitol Building in the country United States.
“The action we took that day, and I have not covered the investigation; some people lost their lives in the process,” Kindiki admitted.
However, the Minister saw that protecting the country's democratic institutions is a fundamental matter, thus comparing it to the Capitol riots.
“I wanted again to be fair to our democracy compared to what happened in the United States on January 6; the attack on the Capitol Building, which was an attack on American democracy, forced the Senate to make certain decisions and use violence, including harming people to make a political statement Lives were lost in that country, but they have never discussed the matter,” he added.
He added that the protection of constitutional institutions such as Parliament, Courts, and Executives is important for the survival of Kenya.
DCI will mention the names of Gachagua's partners in organizing the Gen Z protest
Elsewhere, two MPs and two aides to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua may face charges if the Director of Public Prosecutions obeys the DCI's summons.
The country's main investigative body linked the group to the anti-government protests that rocked the country several months ago.
The accused include Embakasi North Member of Parliament James Gakuya and Embakasi Central colleague Benjamin Gathiru.
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