Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has accused Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja of being behind the goons who infiltrated recent anti-police brutality protests in Nairobi.
In an interview with TNX Africa, the outspoken legislator claimed the government is working behind the scenes to sabotage the youth-led demonstrations.
"The government is clearly taking advantage of these protests. The government is hiring goons using Governor Sakaja. He himself, in Uasin Gishu, said clearly that the previous demonstrations caught him unawares and the next protests would find him ready," Babu said.
Babu referred to a recent incident where one of the alleged goons was apprehended.
"The goon who was nearly killed was asked to name his sponsor, and he called out the governor's name. Above all, the goons had protection from security officers. Who can pull such a move if not the government?" he posed.
However, Governor Sakaja has strongly denied the allegations, dismissing them as "false, malicious, and politically motivated."
In a video shared on his social media platforms, Sakaja said, "I have never and will never sponsor violence of any kind. My entire political life has been anchored on the rule of law and democratic rights."
He added: "These accusations are not only false, they are desperate attempts by individuals whose political careers are marked by violence, intimidation, and chaos, people who have gone as far as hiring goons to taint my name."
Sakaja concluded by condemning all acts of violence and urged citizens to reject such behavior.
Amnesty International is among rights groups and organisations that stood up against the violence witnessed during the protests.
"On Tuesday, the police failed to stop agitators supplied uniformly with wooden batons, tyre whips, knives and other crude weapons from attacking anti-government protesters. Furthermore, protest observation shows that several police escorted, supported and even guided their operations," Executive Director Irungu Houghton said.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the protests last week led to 22 casualties.
"The Commission has recorded twenty-two (22) casualties, including the shooting by police of a peaceful civilian who was shot at close range in Nairobi. The other injuries range from gunshot wounds, head cuts, whip lashes, blunt trauma, and asthma attacks after inhaling teargas," KNCHR Vice Chairperson Dr. Raymond Nyeris said in a statement.