Kenyan mothers’ letter to ‘our children,’ President and leaders on tax protests
Dr Jennifer Riria (centre) with fellow women leaders address journalists at Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, on April 5, 2022.
What you need to know:
- We pray for grace to each of the families affected and wish the injured quick recovery. Further, we wish to state as follows.
- We plead with Parliament to listen to the voices of Gen Z in respect of the Finance Bill and restrain from chest-thumping.
We, the women, mothers and womb bearers of this great nation of Kenya issue this statement in tears and anguish. We are in mourning together with our fellow mothers and sisters who have lost their children during the unfortunate events that have engulfed our country in the last couple of days.
Our hearts go to each of these families and to those whose children are still recovering in hospitals. We pray for grace to each of the families affected and wish the injured quick recovery. Further, we wish to state as follows:
One, to our children, led by millennials and Gen Z, we want you to know that we have heard you. We have heard the issues you have raised and they are pertinent. However, we expect you to exercise restraint in the actions you take and to obey the law.
Two, Kenya has been on this road before. The wounds of 2007/08 and other similar periods are still raw and fresh in the minds and conscience of Kenyans. Our neighbouring nations have been there too. Some still are.
The verdict is the same: Violence does not pay; it only causes more tears. As a country, we cannot afford to go that route – not again. We, therefore, wish to make an urgent and passionate call for sobriety.
As women who are mothers, we are cognisant that the issues our children are raising are real. Indeed, as adults and leaders, we need to pause and listen. We need to give our children hope.
Three, we plead with Parliament to listen to the voices of Gen Z in respect of the Finance Bill and restrain from chest-thumping. We wish to remind Parliament that the power they are holding has been given to them by the citizens, now represented by the voices of Gen Z.
We urge for a change in tack, including language, so that we can create an environment for dialogue. Beyond that, we urge NCIC to exercise their mandate and call out leaders who continue to issue provocative, insensitive and reckless statements.
Watch: ‘Don’t kill our children’, Azimio MPs shout as police try to disperse the crowd outside Parliament
Four, while we sympathise with our law-enforcement agencies, we are appalled by the excessive use of force and urge for adoption of more humane and constitutional approaches to dealing with volatile situations.
In this regard, we urge Ipoa to quickly move in and investigate allegations of abuse of authority, especially use of live bullets by the security forces.
Finally, the Women of Kenya wish to commend the President for demonstrating leadership by declining to sign the Finance Bill. Thank you, Mr President. The Women of Kenya stand behind you and commend you for taking this bold move.
We pray that the Lord will guide you as you make hard decisions during this challenging period. As you contemplate other options, we propose that you consider constituting a multidisciplinary team to review the Finance Bill and factor in the voices of the Kenyan people represented by Gen Z.
For our part as women and mothers, we commit to continue playing our roles, including praying, nurturing and safeguarding the delicate lives of all.
We remind the country of the words of our sister and Kenya’s only Peace Nobel Laureate, the late Prof Wangari Maathai, who once summoned the world as follows: “Today, we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops threatening its life-support system.”
Signed on behalf of African Women Leaders Network, Women Mediation Network Kenya, Echo Network Africa Foundation and Democracy Trust Fund by Dr Jennifer Riria, GoodwillAmbassador, ICON/HP president/CEO, Eco Network Africa Foundation.
