‘They Told Me to Stay at Home, Now I’m at Home’: Raila Says as He Expresses Support for Gen-Z, Calls for Dialogue

NAIROBI, Kenya Jul 6 – Opposition leader Raila Odinga has spoken out for the first time on the Gen Z-led protests that have rocked the country over the past few weeks, voicing his support for the youth’s push for good governance and justice while emphasizing the need for dialogue to steer the country out of its current crisis.

Speaking during a church service , Odinga praised the courage and resilience of young Kenyans who have taken to the streets to challenge government excesses, saying their message cannot be ignored.

However, he ruled out joining them in the protests physically, stating that while he may not be in the streets, he remains firmly behind them in principle.

“They told me, ‘Baba sit at home, you have done enough.’ I am at home, but I am behind youEat teargas even us ate. Continue to eat teargas and tell them to add more. Tell them you will not surrender,”he said during a church service.

The former Prime Minister, who has been a central figure in opposition for decades, said the protests reflect long-standing frustrations with poor governance, corruption, and exclusion issues that he said require more than cosmetic fixes.

“What is required in this country is serious dialogue, a comprehensive dialogue, that will be able to fix all the things that have gone wrong,” he said.

“We must deal with the issues of unemployment among our youth, the scourge of corruption, ethnicity and tribalism, nepotism, and exclusion. These are the issues that must be tackled if we are to get this country back on track.”

Odinga’s remarks come as the Saba Saba protests  are expected tomorrow. The Saba Saba protests, which take place annually on July 7, commemorate the historic push for multiparty democracy in Kenya.

Odinga, while endorsing the protesters’ demands, issued a stern warning against the use of state violence on peaceful demonstrators.

“Police should not use brutality against unarmed innocent people who are demonstrating their rights,” he said.

The opposition leader also used the platform to challenge the complicity of religious leaders, criticizing the Church for what he termed as silence and submission in the face of national injustice.

“Today, the religious leaders are summoned like servants to go to State House with prepared speeches.The Church must speak the word of God and stand firm with the children of God. The Church should not be subservient to temporal power,”he lamented.

“When children of this country come out in large numbers to say something is wrong, the Church deserves to stand with these children  to speak truth to power,” Odinga added.

He further turned his attention to the public sector, challenging the government’s rhetoric on fighting corruption, which he described as selective and hollow.

According to Odinga, the government must first address endemic corruption within the civil service particularly the growing trend of senior officials doubling as business people.

“If you’re talking about fighting corruption, first address the issue of corruption within the civil service.Civil servants should not become businessmen. They should either choose to be businessmen or remain as civil servants  not both,”Odinga said.