Ruto urged to restore order ahead of Saba Saba anniversary

By Newsflash Writer

As the nation approached the 25th anniversary of the historic Saba Saba protests of 1990, the National Alternative Alliance (NAA) issued a scathing open letter to President William Ruto, warning that Kenya was teetering on the edge of collapse due to misgovernance, rising youth unrest, and gross human rights abuses.

The lobby group, under the leadership of national convener Arnold Maliba and politician Kennedy Ondiek, announced plans to pile pressure on President Ruto to address the concerns raised by Kenyans.

“We are mobilising for protests on Monday to mark Saba Saba Day because Kenyans are frustrated with how Ruto is running the country. Nothing seems to be working—only corruption, nepotism, and other injustices thrive,” said Maliba.

The NAA painted a grim picture of a nation descending into anarchy.

The group accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of overseeing widespread state repression, failing leadership, and rampant corruption. The NAA warned that without immediate and decisive intervention to calm the tensions and foster national healing, the country risked plunging into chaos.

Demand to end brutality

The NAA called on the government to immediately cease abductions and police brutality, and to unconditionally release all those arrested for exercising their right to protest, as protected under Article 37 of the Constitution. The alliance urged President Ruto to compensate families of victims killed or injured during protests, waive hospital and mortuary fees for such victims, and take legal action against state officials implicated in abuses.

Further, the group called for the depoliticisation of security agencies, prosecution of state agents behind protest violence, and an end to incendiary remarks by government officials. In a significant escalation, the NAA demanded the dismissal of Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, the heads of the National Intelligence Service, Inspector General of Police and deputies, and the Director of Criminal Investigations—saying new, credible leadership was urgently needed to restore public trust in law enforcement.

Urgent dialogue and midterm review

The NAA proposed the immediate establishment of a civic-led, multi-sectoral, time-bound national dialogue process to address Kenya’s deepening socio-political crisis. They recommended that this dialogue tackle generational divisions, youth unemployment, economic inequality, corruption, and political exclusion.

The briefing was addressed by

The alliance also urged President Ruto to conduct a radical midterm policy review anchored on public participation. According to NAA, the President’s trusted inner circle had failed the nation, and his continued recycling of ineffective appointees had only intensified public frustration.

Despite the administration’s claims about “The Plan” working, NAA insisted that the current unrest was proof of its failure and the government’s disconnect from everyday Kenyans.

Corruption and unemployment

NAA listed a litany of corruption scandals they claimed had shattered public confidence in the Ruto administration. These included the Global Fund mosquito nets scandal, the poisonous sugar import scandal, the fuel and edible oil scandals, the housing levy controversy, irregular privatisation of state corporations, and murky deals such as the Adani Airport and energy projects. They also cited State House renovations, the Sudan arms smuggling saga, the Haiti deployment scandal, and alleged misuse of ministries to shield State House budgets.

To tackle joblessness, especially among youth, NAA proposed recruiting 30,000 new officers into the police and KDF, reinstating National Youth Council elections, reviving and funding youth programs like Uwezo Fund and the Youth Enterprise Fund, and creating a stimulus to generate 500,000 contract jobs—especially for Junior Secondary School teachers.

They further called for expanded public internships, resumption of university education for 10,000 dropouts, and reversal of the Duale Amendments to the Universities Act to restore student democracy. NAA also recommended scrapping the current higher education funding model, which they argued was pushing universities into a deeper crisis.

Concluding the statement, the NAA challenged President Ruto to rise to the occasion with courage, honesty, and urgent action. With the country set to commemorate Saba Saba on Sunday, July 7, the group said the moment demanded real leadership, not rhetoric.

“The future of our nation, and the hopes of millions of Kenyans, especially the youth, hang in the balance,” the statement read.

They urged the Head of State to listen, reform, and lead the nation back to justice and prosperity before the window for reconciliation closed.