Saboti MP Caleb Amisi has warned of an uprising by the youths if the government does not stop police brutality.
Amisi sought to bring into focus the conduct of police officers, warning that this may spark resistance by the young people who he said are increasingly frustrated as their demands for justice go unanswered.
The MP, who was responding to a viral video on social media showing a man confronting police officers with a machete during protests in Nakuru on Tuesday, said there was a need for the police to change their attitude towards the citizens.
In the video, the man was seen fearlessly brandishing a panga as he approached the police officer, daring to attack him.
In response, the officers fired a teargas canister in his direction, but the man was fearless as he continued to charge towards them, shouting endeni huko (go away) as the officers retreated.
According to Amisi, this is a sign that youths are tired of police officers' conduct and are willing to retaliate and fight for their rights.
“Never in the history of Kenya has a Kenyan ever faced a police officer with a panga, ready for a fight,” the MP said.
Amisi is of the opinion that unless the government initiates meaningful reforms, the youth will continue to fight for their future by any means necessary, and which may not end well. According to Amisi Kenya needs more than just policy adjustments but deep systemic changes.
“Unless the regime changes and builds a nation worth bequeathing to our children, the children are coming for their nation and their future too. The means may not matter anymore. Kenya needs a renaissance,” the MP said.
The youth was among the charged protestors who took to the streets in Nakuru, demonstrating against the fatal shooting of 35-year-old Duncan Nderitu, reportedly by a police officer.
Reports revealed that Nderitu was killed during an altercation when police attempted to arrest a suspected drug peddler in the area. The confrontation reportedly turned chaotic as residents confronted the officers, prompting them to fire in the air to disperse the crowd.
Amid the commotion, one officer is said to have accidentally shot Nderitu in the head. The action by the youth has elicited a heated debate online, with a section of Kenyans hailing him, while others have also echoed the MP's words, defining it as an awakening moment in the country.
