Kabarebe made the remarks on Thursday, July 25, 2024, while taking youths from the diaspora on a tour of the Gikoba Liberation Trail in Nyagatare District, a site used by the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) during its liberation struggle from 1990 to 1994.
At the time, Gen (Rtd) Kabarebe was the commander of the forces protecting the RPA leader Kagame during the war.
During the tour, Kabarebe told the Rwandan youth from various countries that during the early months of the war, there was constant fighting day and night as government forces attempted to dislodge them, but their determination helped them to prevail.
From January to May 1991, the struggle consisted of guerrilla attacks aimed at weakening and confusing the enemy, causing him to disperse his forces.
In June of that year, Kagame, who was the commander of the RPA, decided to send his troops to an area called Muvumba, choosing it because the abundant banana groves provided good cover and food to sustain the troops.
Gen (Rtd) Kabarebe revealed that they were preparing to engage in a new, entrenched form of combat rather than guerrilla attacks.
“He decided to move the troops from the mountains, changed the tactics from mobile guerrilla warfare to positional warfare. He instructed all the commanders and the soldiers to dig trenches just across here. He brought all the military leaders to show them his trench and asked them to dig their own. They were to face the enemy. The enemy well equipped with artillery, with mortars, with APCs, armored personnel carriers, helicopters, and everything,” he revealed.
Kabarebe disclosed that he was the one who dug that historic trench, which is still visible today.
“I was the commander of the force that protected the president and I am the one who dug this trench,” he added.
Gen (Rtd) Kabarebe noted that the battle was tough because then Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana had put all his efforts into fighting the RPA forces. However, sustained attacks on the government army forced the former Head of State to give some concessions, allowing for peace negotiations in Arusha, Tanzania.
“There was a time when Habyarimana sent many troops, heavily armed. The fighting was intense. Do you know what the Chief of Staff told us? He said, ‘We will never leave this place, even if we have to dig trenches under those mountains and hide there, but we will stay here.’”
“He wanted to tell us that no matter what happens, we should not leave this area and fight until we win.”
From that time, the RPA forces began to encircle the enemy, digging trenches that surrounded the government forces, cutting off all supply routes for food and other necessities, and also blocking their own escape routes.
Whoever starved first would be forced to abandon their positions.
“There was no point in time when our force ever succumbed and left its defence because of hunger. Our level of resilience was very, very high,” he stated.
The war would go on for more than three years until the RPA forces captured Kigali and ended the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Meanwhile, during the tour, Gen (Rtd) Kabarebe urged the young people from the diaspora to emulate the patriotism of the youth who sacrificed their lives during the liberation struggle.
Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 29 years ago, Luladey Takele Teshome has been captivated by the world of art since childhood. Over the years, she has developed a passion for telling unique stories through artistic cultural curation, aiming to inspire positivity in society.
Luladey moved to Kigali about six years ago, where she has continued to explore her creativity through various mediums, including painting, design, photography, and ink sketching. She is currently the Art Project Management Consultant at the British Council, after several years in Rwanda’s education sector.
IGIHE caught up with the sassy artist at the Mundi Centre in Kicukiro district, where she is showcasing a solo art project she has been working on over the last two years.
Luladey explains that the collection of artwork dubbed “Blue Circle” depicts her journey of discovery and rediscovery. The artwork conveys different emotions, aiming to inspire people to experience life as a full circle, embracing both lows and highs with optimism.
“The circle is the emotional circle – the growth that we are going through. Wherever we are today is not where we are going to be tomorrow. Sometimes you feel the peak, sometimes you feel the low, and sometimes you are just on the journey,” Luladey stated.
“There are pieces that are about my highs, the things that make me happy, the things that make me hopeful. And then there are lows that make me feel sad, vulnerable and lonely,” she added.
She explains that the blue colour is used to depict different emotions in her drawings and paintings having changed its identity over time.
“The blue colour has been associated with concepts such as tranquillity, stability, trust, loyalty, and spirituality. It’s often considered a calming colour, evoking feelings of peace and serenity,” she says.
Luladey’s exhibition at Mundi Centre features several paintings and 11 ink sketches.
She is passionate about one of the paintings titled “Blue Moon,” “A blue moon is something that comes once in a season. It signifies that whenever we experience peaks or lows, each moment is as present as you can be, and can only be lived once. If you’re sad about something once, you won’t be sad about the same thing at the same level every single time. It will shift over time.”
More than a hundred artists attended the first day of the three-day solo exhibition on Thursday, July 25, 2024.
The highly interactive session was more than just a moment to appreciate art; it was also a platform for artists from diverse backgrounds to network and challenge each other in pursuit of their dreams.
“I would want us as artists and the general public to give ourselves a challenge to overcome something we wanted to do but didn’t. We have the capacity to break that barrier in our way. So just lift that up and do what you said you will do,” Luladey said, citing her solo exhibition as a big win.
Artists Jackson Manzi and Carley Cyuzuzo lauded Luladey’s work and urged other colleagues in the industry who didn’t manage to attend the exhibition to take advantage of the remaining two days to learn something new from Luladey’s creativity.
“Any artist willing to come will learn something from her. She is a good artist – she’s really good at what she does. The message she’s giving out is good for anyone who wants to feel the love and feel free,” Cyuzuzo noted.
The exhibition continues on Friday, July 26, and Saturday, July 27, 2024.
Unlike Thursday’s exhibition, which was limited to invited artists, Friday and Saturday’s exhibitions will be open to the public.
The Friday session is scheduled to start at 11 am and run until 9:00 pm, while Saturday’s session will close at 5:55 pm.
The Saturday session will be special and will feature a talk between Luladey and another artist, Sophie, from 1 to 3 pm. Afterwards, the floor will open to a highly engaging session dubbed “create, critic, and connect.
Luladey’s captivating paintings and drawings will be available for acquisition throughout the three-day expo. Prices range from $251 to $940.
Years pass, and 1979 arrives. Fatback releases what is considered the beginning of recorded hip-hop music, “King Tim III,” appearing on their disco album Fatback XII.
Still, in 1979, Sylvia Robinson, an American singer and record producer, introduces the Sugarhill Gang to the world. The Sugarhill Gang releases what is considered the introduction of hip-hop music to a wider audience, “Rapper’s Delight.”
The genre goes mainstream. Artists start to express various social issues through it. Political issues, poverty, inequality, and police brutality become prominent topics. Hip-hop is now a different type of culture.
As hip-hop music evolves, 1984 arrives. The Roxanne Wars begin with Roxanne Shante and Marley Marl’s “Roxanne’s Revenge,” a diss record targeting U.T.F.O, a hip-hop group from Brooklyn, New York. U.T.F.O replies with “The Real Roxanne,” and the beef begins.
A series of beefs follow, most notably the Bridge Wars and the famed East Coast and West Coast hip-hop rivalry, involving artists from New York and California. The East Coast and West Coast hip-hop rivalry culminates in violence.
From the Roxanne Wars and the Bridge Wars to the East and West Coast rivalry, G-Unit vs. Murder Inc., and the ongoing Kendrick vs. Drake beef, how did beefs transition from artistic rivalries to real-life hatred?
Tupac vs. Biggie might be the biggest beef the hip-hop community has ever seen, arguably. The feud was also linked to the competition between two of the most powerful record labels of their era, Bad Boy Records and Death Row Records. The feud also played a significant part in the West Coast and East Coast hip-hop rivalry but was more personal.
The two had met for the first time in 1993 and became friends. They even performed together at a concert at Madison Square Garden, New York, that same year. But things between the two of the best to ever grace hip-hop took an unexpected turn.
In 1994, Tupac was shot, and the shooting accusations fell on Biggie and Puff Daddy, who was Biggie’s boss at Bad Boy Records. “Who Shot Ya,” a record believed to be a diss towards Tupac, was released later in 1995. Believing the song was aimed at him, Tupac released “Hit ‘Em Up” in 1996 after coming out of prison, taking shots at Biggie, his rap supergroup Junior M.A.F.I.A., and the entire Bad Boy Records. On the night of September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot dead, and the accusations fell on Biggie and Bad Boy Records again. On March 9 of the following year, Biggie was also shot dead. The animosity between the two was beyond art, and their tragic deaths illustrate how far their feud had gone. Was that still art?
Jay-Z vs. Nas might be another of the biggest beefs the hip-hop community has ever witnessed. Even though the two reconciled in later years and have been on good terms for quite some time, their beef wasn’t solely from an artistic point of view. It is believed that the beef dates back to 1996 when Nas refused to appear on Jay-Z’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt.
In 1997, following Biggie’s death, JAY-Z proclaimed himself as the best MC out of New York. In 2001, JAY-Z released his sixth studio album, The Blueprint. On the second single off the album, “Takeover,” JAY-Z attacked Nas and claimed the Queensbridge MC averages only one good album every 10 years. The Brooklyn MC further criticized Nas’s style of rapping as ‘garbage.’
In that same year, Nas released his fifth studio album, Stillmatic. On the album, the response to Jay-Z’s “Takeover” came with the second single, “Ether.” On the song, Nas calls Jay-Z ‘weak’ and claims that Eminem outrapped him on his own song. “Eminem murdered you on your own sh*t,” in reference to Jay-Z and Eminem’s song “Renegade.” Nas also sent homophobic shots at his rival by calling him “GAY-Z.” It is also said that the song had a previous version that was not released, where Nas claimed that Jay-Z deserved to die in the plane crash that took Aaliyah’s life on August 25 of that same year. Was that still art?
Tupac vs. Biggie or Jay-Z vs. Nas aside, you can’t talk about hip-hop beefs without mentioning 50 Cent vs. Ja Rule. Yes, 50 Cent vs. Ja Rule. The beef started with robbery. Ja Rule was robbed and accused 50 Cent of being behind the incident. Later in 2000, 50 Cent was stabbed by Murder Inc. associates, a record company to which Ja Rule was signed.
Following this, a series of diss records were released towards each other and involved other artists like Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, and Jadakiss. The feud escalated to a G-Unit vs. Murder Inc. beef. Over 20 years later, the two are still enemies and don’t seem to be putting aside their differences anytime soon. Isn’t that beyond art?
It’s 2024, and Drake is at his peak as an artist. Away from Toronto is Kendrick Lamar, a Compton native believed to be one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time and the best of his generation. In the other corner is Jermaine Cole, and the three are said to be the ‘BIG 3,’ referring to the biggest three rap artists of the modern era.
Let’s go back a little to October 6, 2023. Aubrey ‘Drake’ Graham releases his eighth studio album, For All the Dogs. On the album appears “First Person Shooter,” featuring two of the acclaimed BIG 3. On the song, Jermaine crowns himself as the ‘Muhammad Ali’ of the three. The claims reach Kendrick, and we return to 2024.
It’s March 22, 2024. Metro Boomin and Future release their collaborative album, We Don’t Trust You. “Like That” is the sixth track off the album, and Kendrick is featured on it. On the song, the Compton MC distances himself from the BIG 3 comparisons. It’s not the ‘BIG 3,’ it’s the ‘BIG KENDRICK.’
April 5 arrives, and Jermaine unexpectedly drops his fourth mixtape, Might Delete Later. On the mixtape is “7 Minutes Drill,” where the North Carolina rapper attacks his Compton friend.
Then, on April 19, Aubrey attacks Kendrick with “Push-Ups,” which had been leaked about a week before. The AI-assisted “Taylor Made Freestyle” drops on the same day, too.
By April 30, Euphoria is released in response to “Push-Ups.” On May 3, 6:16 in L.A. drops, with Kendrick still going at Aubrey. On the same day, “Family Matters” is unleashed toward Kendrick. Was that enough? No! It’s only twenty minutes since “Family Matters” came out, and “Meet the Grahams” is playing in Aubrey’s speakers.
Still not over? No! May 4 arrives, and Aubrey is bombarded again with “Not Like Us.” In response, May 5 brings “The Heart Part 6” from Aubrey.
Throughout the Kendrick-Drake beef, dating back to 2012, personal lives were attacked, insults were exchanged, and families were involved. Is that still art?
Throughout hip-hop’s existence, beefs have arisen. Some were resolved peacefully, while others became the center of violence and loss of life. There are many examples illustrating how hip-hop beefs have gone beyond art and created lasting hatred among those involved.
Notable cases include Pusha T vs. Drake, Eminem vs. Benzino, Gucci Mane vs. Jeezy, 50 Cent vs. Game, Rick Ross vs. 50 Cent, 50 Cent vs. Diddy, Mase vs. Diddy, and the currently squashed PFLA vs. Bulldog case.
This follows a recent meeting between Chinese officials and Dmytro Kuleba, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, who visited China from July 23 to 25, 2024.
During the meeting, China, which was seen as one of Russia’s major backers in the wake of the 2022 invasion, also assured that it would not supply weapons to Russia.
The visit of a Ukrainian official at this level to China was the first in many years, Ukrainian official Vasyl Ivashko said in a statement.
“This is a clear signal of Beijing’s openness to dialogue with Kyiv,” Ivashko stated.
The official further affirmed Ukraine’s readiness for a diplomatic settlement of the war with the Russian Federation but accused Russia of lacking such commitment.
“Moscow is not ready to conduct negotiations in good faith,” Ivashko added.
Following the recent talks, the Ukrainian side has invited China to a second summit aimed at securing lasting peace with the Kremlin after more than two years of war. The country says efforts are ongoing to attract Russian representatives to the meeting.
The first summit was held in Switzerland in June and was attended by delegations from 92 countries. Russia was not represented at the meeting.
“Ukraine is convinced that a just peace in Ukraine corresponds to China’s strategic interests, and China’s role as a global peace force is important,” Ivashko noted.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. This marked a dramatic escalation of a conflict that had been simmering since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea and supported separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The invasion was a surprise to the world and widely condemned as an illegal act of aggression. The conflict has caused a massive humanitarian crisis, with millions of Ukrainians displaced and thousands killed.
{{Global Impact
}}
The invasion has had far-reaching consequences, including economic sanctions on Russia, a surge in energy prices, and a strengthening of NATO. The war continues, with intense fighting in various parts of Ukraine.
Museveni made the remarks on Thursday, July 25, 2024, while accusing “imperialists” of sponsoring the protests witnessed in the country on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.
In a statement shared on social media, the Ugandan Head of State said he had received credible intelligence that the protests were sponsored. He warned that he won’t allow “imperialists” to meddle with the internal affairs of Uganda.
“All those involved should know that Uganda is not a neo-colony where those shallow schemes can be deployed,” President Museveni stated.
Museveni noted that organizers and participants of the demonstrations were “planning very bad things” and the “evidence in court will shock many”.
“Those very bad things will come out in court when those arrested are being tried,” Museveni said as he lauded the security forces for foiling the demonstrations.
He argued that if the protests were patriotic, peaceful and coordinated with the police he would have been the first to join.
The President contrasted the failed protest with a past anti-corruption march in 2019 organized by Ugandan military officer Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema, saying he was ready to participate in a similar exercise.
“In the year 2019, Nakalema organized us and we marched from the city Square through Kampala Road to Jinja Road and went to Kololo. So many people were there- Bishops, Soldiers, Wanainchi, etc.
“…Nakalema can co-ordinate with the genuine anti-corruption fighters for a similar effort, especially on a Sunday,” he added.
He, however, emphasized that heavily populated suburbs in the country should never be used for demonstration as they will “damage the little wealth creation that our people are painstakingly building up”.
More than 70 youths accusing members of parliament of graft were arrested on Tuesday during a march to parliament.
The protesters stormed the streets of Kampala after drawing inspiration from weeks of youth-led protests in Kenya that forced President William Ruto to dissolve his cabinet and withdraw proposed tax hikes.
The Ugandan Head of State had warned against such demonstrations, saying those behind the plans were “playing with fire”.
Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente announced President Paul Kagame’s decision to drop Dr. Mujawamariya from the Cabinet on Thursday morning, citing matters of accountability under investigation.
“Pursuant to the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda, especially its Article 116; today, 25th July 2024, Dr. Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya has been dismissed from her position as Minister of Public Service and Labour (MIFOTRA) due to matters of accountability under investigation,” the Prime Minister announced.
Dr. Mujawamariya’s dismissal comes barely two months after she was appointed Minister of Labour.
The long-serving public officer, with a career spanning more than two decades in government, was among several ministers affected by a Cabinet reshuffle initiated by President Kagame on June 12, 2024.
She previously served as Minister of Environment for the Republic of Rwanda from 2019.
From 2013 to 2019, she served as the Ambassador of Rwanda to Russia. Prior to that, she had been the Vice Chancellor and Rector of the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology from 2011 to 2013.
From 2008 to 2011, she held the position of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office in charge of Gender and Family Promotion.
She was the Minister of Education from 2006 to March 2008, and before that, from 2005 to 2006, she served as the Minister of State in Charge of Higher Education within the same ministry.
Between 2003 and 2005, she was the Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education of the Rwandan government.
Earlier in her career, from 2001 to 2003, she worked as a lecturer of Physical Chemistry in the Faculty of Education, Department of Biology and Chemistry at the National University of Rwanda.
In a twist of events, Ruto handed critical dockets including Finance, Energy and Mining, to opposition leader Raila Odinga’s allies in what has been perceived as an attempt to appease the protesters demanding radical changes in government.
Addressing the media at State House, Nairobi, Ruto hoped his new cabinet would revive efforts to deflate anti-government protests that have been going on for weeks.
President Ruto nominated the chairman of the ODM party, John Mbadi, as Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning (Finance). He also picked ODM deputy leaders Wycliffe Oparanya and Ali Hassan Joho to head plum dockets previously held by his loyalists.
Oparanya has been nominated to head the Ministry of Co-operatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development, while Joho will be in charge of the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs.
Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi, also a senior member of Odinga’s ODM party, has been nominated as Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum.
Seven more new appointments were made in addition to the [11 that Ruto announced last week->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/president-ruto-retains-6-ministers-in-new-cabinet-appointments#:~:text=They%20are%20Kithure%20Kindiki%20(Interior,takes%20over%20the%20Roads%20docket.].
Salim Mvurya was moved from the Ministry of Mining and Blue Economy to the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry. Kipchumba Murkomen is set to become the Minister of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports after a stint at the Road and Transport docket.
Former Trade Minister, Rebecca Miano, will be in charge of the Tourism and Wildlife portfolio.
Alfred Mutua has been nominated to head the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, while former Attorney General Justin Muturi has been nominated to head the Ministry of Public Service and Human Capital Development. Stella Soi Lang’at is set to take over as the new Minister for Gender, Culture, the Arts, and Heritage.
The ODM party is the main opposition party in Kenya. It is also the largest party in the Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition, which was formed in the run-up to the 2022 presidential elections.
The Ministry of Finance and Planning recently found itself at the center of the Kenyan protests after drafting the Finance Bill 2024, which sought to raise $2.7 billion local revenue through collection of additional taxes.
Former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga last week opposed calls for President Ruto to resign over government failures and instead called for dialogue to resolve the issues raised by the youth.
While announcing the additional members of the cabinet, Ruto promised to tackle corruption in government by undertaking stringent measures.
“I will be proposing the amendment of the Evidence Act, Criminal Procedure Code, as well as other necessary changes, to expedite and prosecute corruption cases within six months,” he said.
Additionally, the president pledged to propose amendments to the Witness Protection Act to protect and incentivize whistleblowers as well as enhance witness protection.
Through the Kenya Media Sector Working Group, journalists carrying placards with messages such as ‘Shoot Not the Messenger’ brought business to a standstill as they marched across Nairobi streets to deliver their petition to the police.
In the petition, the members of the press listed several demands including accountability for illegal shooting, beating, abduction, and harassment of journalists by state operatives.
They demanded immediate prosecution of rogue police officers including the one who shot a journalist in Nakuru.
The journalists also castigated the government over threats to shut down media houses covering the [anti-government protests->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/protesters-storm-kenyan-parliament-as-controversial-finance-bill-is-passed] that continue to be witnessed in the country.
“Today, we have appropriated our rights as citizens and professionals to gather and express our anger over police brutality against journalists, threats to shut media houses, and other primitive strategies by state organs and agencies, politicians, and their ill intentions bent on curtailing the hard-won freedom of expression and media,” the journalists said.
{{Journalist shot
}}
Catherine Wanjeri Kariuki, a journalist working with K24TV, was shot four times by police during an anti-government protest on July 16, 2024. Medics confirmed that three rubber bullets were lodged in her thighs, with one of them causing a serious injury.
Narrating her ordeal at a Nakuru hospital where she was admitted, Wanjeri told local media recently that she was being targeted by the police alongside other journalists for covering the anti-government protests.
“Nobody would convince me that I was not a target, it is not the first time I have been targeted. I had been hit by a teargas canister but I did not report nor escalate the matter. I just showed my colleagues the scar on the same leg that I was shot at,” she recounted.
In the same week, veteran journalist and newspaper columnist Macharia Gaitho was violently arrested while driving around Nairobi with his son. However, the police later freed the scribe without charge, terming the arrest a case of mistaken identity.
Recently, the Communications Authority of Kenya cautioned the media against broadcasting content pertaining to the ongoing protests, arguing that airing such content violates the Constitution.
Citing violent protests that have resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of property, the authority said the media is mandated with the critical role of maintaining public order and sensitivity.
The AU chief made the comments while congratulating President Paul Kagame on his re-election in the recently concluded general election.
“H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat warmly congratulates President Paul Kagame upon his brilliant re-election as Head of state following the announcement of the official presidential and legislative election results by the Rwandan National Elections Commission on 22 July 2024,” a statement issued by AUC on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, reads in part.
“The Chairperson also commended the Government and the National Elections Commission for the successful organization and conduct of the elections judged to be peaceful, transparent, free and fair by both national and international observers, including the joint African Union/COMESA Election Observation Mission.”
According to Faki, the Rwandan authorities’ self-financing of the entire electoral process illustrates strong national ownership and commitment to the country’s democratic and governance credentials.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Togolese counterpart Faure Gnassingbé also joined other world leaders on Tuesday in congratulating Kagame for his landslide victory.
In his message to President Kagame, Jinping highlighted that Rwanda has traditionally been a friendly nation to China. He noted that in recent years, relations between China and Rwanda have developed rapidly, yielding fruitful results in various sectors and deepening their traditional friendship.
He committed to working with President Kagame to further enhance mutual political trust and to expand and deepen practical cooperation in various fields.
President Gnassingbe, on his part, said Kagame’s re-election reflects the renewed confidence of the Rwandan people in the RPF Inkotanyi leader’s leadership and vision for the country.
“I hope that this new term will strengthen the ongoing cooperation between our countries and the fraternity between our peoples,” he added.
Kagame secured a landslide victory in last week’s general election, garnering 99.18% of the votes. His opponents, Dr. Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana, received 0.50% and 0.32% of the votes, respectively.
In a new wave of protests, the angry citizens took to the streets alleging that the Kenyan government planned to sell the country’s main airport to foreign investors.
Despite a police warning issued on Monday evening, the youth made an effort to enter the national airport on Tuesday morning to protest using the slogan ‘OccupyJKIA’.
The youths erected barricades along the road leading to the airport in Embakasi, paralyzing transport.
Police were forced to lob tear gas canisters into the air to disperse the demonstrators and clear the road leading to the busy international airport.
Due to the anticipated protests, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and national carrier Kenya Airways had advised passengers to arrive at JKIA at least four hours before their flights because of enhanced security checks.
The protests come a day after Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi denied plans to sell JKIA.
Mudavadi told the National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee that the sale of such a high-value asset can only be done after public memoranda and approval by parliament.
“The airport is not on sale. This is a public asset, a strategic asset. If it was going to be sold, you can only do it after a full public process that parliament endorses,” Mudavadi told MPs on Monday.
Mudavadi, however, noted that there are plans to expand the airport and build a new terminal.
“The Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) must look at its investment programme very carefully, make sure that everything is transparent. So that during the expansion process of the second terminal, let it be done through the legal process so that everybody knows what is going on,” he added.
The anti-government protests began last month with calls for President William Ruto to withdraw a bill that sought to introduce additional taxes on Kenyans. However, despite the withdrawal of the bill and even the dissolution of his Cabinet, the protesters changed course and are now demanding the President’s resignation.
Over the weekend, the Kenyan Head of State vowed to crack down on the youthful protesters, saying “enough is enough”.
President Ruto said on Sunday that going forward he will ”protect the nation” saying he had already given everybody a chance to air their views.
“I dropped the Finance Bill, I called them to come to the table and talk to me, they refused and asked me to go to X, I went there but they ran away,” Ruto said.
“I have called them for talks but they have refused saying they are faceless and formless.”
According to the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC), the protests have so far claimed 50 lives. At least 20 of the victims were shot dead when angry protesters stormed Parliament buildings in Nairobi shortly after the passing of the Finance Bill on June 25 2024.
