Amb. Kambula urges Kenyans on dialogue

Peace Service Ambassador Milton Kambula has urged Kenyans to explore avenues of engaging in dialogue to end the current uproar in the country.

Ambassador Kambula’s comments follow the ongoing protests against the unpopular “Finance Bill” and corruption among political leaders and government officials in the country.

President William Ruto has since declined to sign the Finance Bill, 2024.

“I wish to sincerely thank President William Ruto for declining to sign the Finance Bill, 2024 whose passing sparked off protests in the country that led to lose of lives and property. First of all, that shows that he respects the voices and the power of the voters and citizens who are the owners of the Kenyan Republic,” Kambula said.

He  said that what is happening Kenya is a learning opportunity for other African heads of states to understand that when the majority of people demand repealing of anything, they should not wait until people die, shed blood and burn down buildings, and destroying infrastructure that has taken the country years to put up.

Kambula said that there are African leaders whose ears are down and they do not respect the power and the voices of the local people, even when they are the ones who gave them that power as per their constitution.

“I call upon the citizens of Kenya to welcome the president’s decision and move on. Kenya should realize her potential to become a global center of excellence in the economy, in politics, in socio-cultural dynamics and if this is to be achieved, Kenyans must embrace the culture of dialogue,” Kambula said.

He added that demonstrations, burning down Parliament, attacking security installations and on the other part the beating up and tear-gassing protesters and killing innocent voters won’t solve the problem at hand adding that it’s only peace and dialogue that must be embraced at all cost.

“We need to exhaust all the peace building and dialogue mechanisms and desist from engaging in confrontations and fights which risk innocent lives. Burning down of cities and the politics of tribalism has become the culture of Kenyans but this has hindered the country from growing and developing at the speed it would have grown,” Kambula noted.

He added that all leaders in Africa must understand that they are simply servants to the people they lead and should allow the voice of the population to have its way.

The peace service ambassador condemned the attack on Uganda House, which houses Uganda's High Commission in Kenya noting that this is quite regrettable.

“The attack by protesters on Uganda House is quite against international laws and anyone who attacks an embassy is not just committing a domestic crime, but committing an international crime,” Kambula noted.

He thus resounded a call for peace, harmony, discipline and respect of the rule of law and human rights to prevail in Kenya.