Outspoken Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has strongly condemned the violent crackdown on protesters that left several Kenyans dead and many others injured, describing the actions as a betrayal of the ideals of the nation’s Second Republic.

In a powerful statement, Omtatah said, “Yesterday Kenyans were gunned down and brutalized for daring to defend the promise of our Second Republic — a nation built on freedom, justice, and the rule of law. Their sacrifices remind us all that Kenya must be respected, na tuwe tayari kuilinda. Kenya inastahili heshima.”

The senator’s remarks come in the wake of widespread demonstrations led by Kenyan youth, popularly known as Gen Z, who took to the streets to protest against what they described as bad governance, economic exploitation, and betrayal by the political elite. The protests, which were largely peaceful in many parts of the country, were met with excessive force from security agencies — drawing local and international condemnation.

Omtatah, a long-time human rights defender and constitutional activist, said the government must be held accountable for the bloodshed and urgently reminded of its duty to protect rather than persecute its citizens.

He urged leaders across the political divide to reflect deeply on the cost of silence and inaction.

“We must all rise to the occasion. Kenya belongs to all of us, and it is our shared responsibility to defend it from internal decay.”