Rising political hostility is turning public anger over fuel prices into violence, destruction and revenge attacks, Acting ODM Secretary General Catherine Omanyo has warned, saying economic pressure is being worsened by political manipulation and weaknesses in the energy sector.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Wednesday, Omanyo said recent demonstrations had been overtaken by groups using unrest to advance political interests rather than address genuine public concerns. She said this had made it harder to distinguish peaceful protesters from those engaging in destruction and looting.
She added that even symbolic incidents, such as people being targeted for their political colours, showed how tensions were being exploited.
“They are using another incident to settle political scores on their own issues,” she said, adding that such actions had distorted legitimate public protests.
Omanyo said Kenya’s vulnerability to fuel price shocks is linked to its dependence on imported fuel and its developing economy status, which leaves households exposed to global price changes.
“The only problem with our nation is we are still developing, and our minimum wage in our nation, you can’t compare with those nations that are developed,” Omanyo said.
She also said Kenya had missed key opportunities to strengthen energy independence, arguing that earlier oil discoveries should have been used more decisively to benefit citizens and reduce reliance on imports.
“We also don’t produce fuel, we are hurting like really bad because we missed out opportunities when we had that there’s oil,” she said.
Omanyo further questioned the structure of fuel procurement deals, raising concern over intermediaries in government-to-government arrangements.
“So, when I hear of G to G and their middle men also there, then the match there is not adding up,” she said.
She urged leaders to be cautious with their words, warning that political statements often influence supporters on the ground, especially young people.
“Any leader must always remember that they have a following,” she said, warning that continued blame games risk fueling retaliation during national tensions.
She also criticised the use of protests for political messaging, saying it had contributed to destruction of property and loss of livelihoods. She called for structured dialogue to address grievances, warning that ongoing instability would worsen hardship for citizens already struggling with high living costs.
Her remarks come after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen accused political actors of hijacking fuel price protests to incite violence and destruction of property.
Murkomen said at least 348 people were arrested following Monday’s unrest, which left four people dead and more than 30 injured. He said “today’s protests have once again been hijacked by political actors for political ends,” linking the violence to organised criminal groups and warning that security agencies would intensify action against those behind the destruction.