CS Aden Duale Slams Uhuru’s Call to Gen Z to Fight for Their Rights

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Friday remarks urging the youth to stand up and fight for their rights have sparked political tensions across the divide. The latest criticism comes from Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale who condemned the remarks. 

Speaking during the alumni gathering of Garissa High School on Saturday, Duale criticised Uhuru’s remarks, describing them as inciteful and undermining the government of President William Ruto. 

The CS further described the former President’s remarks as reckless for a leader of his stature and urged the political class to lead by example for the youth. Duale maintained that such statements could promote unrest and should not come from a leader of Uhuru’s caliber.

”It is very unfortunate if we the leaders, current and former, set the stage where we tell the young people of our nation to commit acts of violence and disobedience. I think by doing so, we lose the moral high ground,” Duale stated.

Duale added that, as a former President, Uhuru should strive to see a united and peaceful country. These remarks are likely to further deepen the political harsh responses from Uhuru’s allies. 

”You had the opportunity to lead the country. Do not ask young people and encourage them to commit violence. Instead, encourage them to keep peace and stability of our country,” he added. 

However, Duale, known for his unwavering political loyalty and firm stance, refrained from addressing recent controversial remarks made by Daadab MP Farah Maalim and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, who have faced public backlash over their allegedly derogatory statements.

Uhuru, while attending the burial of his relative on Friday, asked the Gen Z and young people to stand up and fight for their rights and not let what they toiled for be taken away from them.

“The problem of people nowadays is people are afraid. Gen Zs are the story of the future. Fight for your rights. Fight to ensure you are getting what is rightfully yours,” Uhuru urged.

He added, “Don’t stand and watch as your wealth is taken from you. Everything is worth fighting for. If you do not fight for it, don’t cry if it is taken away.”

The call for youth to continue the fight came amid a spate of abductions targeting young people who have turned against the government online.

This comes as President Ruto finds himself in a politically precarious position amid growing calls to end the abductions his government has long been accused of orchestrating.

Adding to the pressure are his newly found allies from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) who, on Saturday, vowed not to stand by and watch as the government continues the alleged abductions.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, while speaking during the burial of Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) Chairperson Roseline Adhiambo Odede on Saturday, demanded that cases of abductions come to an end as Ruto had promised.

“I said before closing the year that abductions must come to an end. If Ruto said it would end, then it should end. We should stop arresting these children,” Odinga asserted.

For months, the political class has been in back-and-forth wars of accusations over who sponsored the Gen Z anti-government protests that reached their climax in June last year, with the storming and torching of the Parliament. 

The earlier remarks by the retired President are likely to ignite discussions regarding their recently established ‘political truce.’

As the country slowly prepares for the 2027 elections, political temperatures seem to be escalating, with alliances and divisions beginning to take clearer form.