Mudavadi Warns Foreign Envoys Over Protest Remarks, Defends Police Action

Nairobi, June 26, 2025 — Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi has issued a stern warning to foreign embassies in Kenya, accusing some diplomats of overstepping their mandate by commenting on Kenya’s handling of the June 25 protests.
In a strongly worded 15-point statement, Mudavadi said the government welcomes international partnerships, but warned that recent statements from Western embassies amounted to “prescriptive commentary” that undermines Kenya’s sovereignty.
“While we acknowledge the right to peaceful assembly, foreign missions must respect Kenya’s constitutional institutions, legal processes, and security challenges,” he stated.
Mudavadi was responding to public concerns and diplomatic pressure following the protests organized to mark one month since the deadly anti-Finance Bill demonstrations. Although the protests began peacefully, Mudavadi said they were hijacked by violent actors who looted businesses, destroyed infrastructure, and attacked police stations and public assets — acts he described as “economic sabotage.”
He expressed regret over the deaths and injuries reported but defended the police, praising their “restraint and professionalism” despite facing provocation.
The CS also justified the brief suspension of live media broadcasts during the unrest, calling it a proportionate step to prevent the spread of incitement and panic. He noted that court orders had since reinstated media access.
Critically, Mudavadi accused some protest organizers of exploiting constitutional freedoms to push personal or political agendas and warned that the right to protest must be exercised within legal limits.
“Peaceful demonstrations must be unarmed, lawful, and non-violent. That was clearly not the case in many instances on June 25,” he said.
His remarks come amid mounting international concern over police brutality, media censorship, and civil liberties — particularly as youth-led protests continue to shake the country.