Charlene Ruto told, “we don’t want kiherere. Don’t address us. Go and tell your father akuje atuambie. Enda uambie baba yako watu wanaumia na baba yako atuembie vile amefanya. Wacha kutupima akili.”
By THEDISPATCH.DIGITAL
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has advised Charlene Ruto, President William Ruto’s daughter to stay away from the political scene and shut up as her activities were raising temperatures.
Sonko, who said he had come across videos online condemning Charlene for her recent public appearances, during one of which she claimed to understand the feeling and pain of her fellow Gen Z youth because she was one of them, claimed that he knew “guys in the government, fear telling you the truth and addressing you with facts and sincerity. Now that I have become a rebel and no longer loyal, let me share some facts and pieces of advice with you.”
Sonko went on to offer his advise to Charlene, telling her to “just relax as your actions are just raising the political temperatures of the leaderless young people. Please let your Dad, the President of the Republic of Kenya, engage them as promised. I know you’ve been doing a tremendous good job on the ground. I even complimented you at some point, but for now, just keep off, please, until things cool down, kabisa, as you might be worsening the situation.”
President Ruto had promised to engage the youth on the X social media today as part of efforts to address the concerns that led t the recent unprecedented demos and storming of Parliament by protestors. His efforts to convene a forum to address those issues were rebuffed by the youth, who feared they would be manipulated and compromised.
In a video he reposted, a youthful man tells off Charlene Ruto for her claims of understanding the plight of the young people and advises her to give her advise to her father as her appearance was only causing them pain.
although some people supported Charlene’s engagement with the youth when she met some 47 so-called Presidents of youth organisations from all the counties, some saw echoes of the infamous Youth for Kanu ’92, of which her father was the an official, which engaged in massive bribery of youth and voters to ensure President Daniel Moi’s dictatorial regime was preserved at the 19992 general elections.
Charlene claimed that she had been working with some of the youths “for the past almost 2 years kwa ground, to participate in their agreement as young leaders” but her engagement came out as too condescending and manipulative – she was there to ensure the survival of her father’s regime and not any true connections.
“The girl is tryin to do what her father did for Moi 33 years ago,” said Ken Onyancha, a former DO. “There’s no depth, just manipulation – those youths talking to her will not be able to reach her when the crisis is over because she’s a child of privilege; she’s not one of them. She’s only making her agemates angrier.”
Indeed this seemed to have been confirmed by a post she made on X: “This is indeed what I encourage – constructive engagement. Let’s be the generation that’s known not just for its passion, but for its innovation in governance and civic participation. I am here to listen, learn and work alongside you. I am here for you.”