Governor George Natembeya (c)during a walk in Kitale town./MATHEWS NDANYI

Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has urged President William Ruto and other leaders to stop burying their heads in the sand as the country slides into lawlessness due to frequent protests.

“We need to sit back and ask ourselves where we are headed as a country. The Gen Zs are Kenyans with genuine demands and they must be listened to,” Natembeya said.

Issues of corruption, inequality, marginalisation and abductions were matters of great concern to all Kenyans – including Gen Zs. 

“We can not continue to fight Gen Zs yet they have serious issues they are talking about and we all know that what they are demanding is the truth,” he said.

Natembeya warned that the economic situation was at risk of worsening due to the destruction experienced during the protests and that action must be taken to restore calm.

He urged the youths not to give up and to continue fighting for a just and fair society for all.

“I say to the youths that the struggle must continue so that we secure a good future for our next generations,” he said.

Gen Z protests were also held in the county, but there were no reported cases of violence and looting. 

The governor said picketing is a right which the youth must be allowed to exercise and supported, to ensure peace prevails. 

He however urged protesters not to engage in acts of violence and looting of property.

Separately, members of the clergy in the region called for dialogue between the government and youth to stop frequent destructive protests. 

Led by Sybery Nyabero, the religious leaders said the country must be saved from anarchy, cautioning that security teams were increasingly unable to handle the situation.

“We call upon our youth to calm down and allow dialogue over the issues they have been raising over time,” Nyabero said.