Over the weekend, Molo Member of Parliament Kuria Kimani publicly forgave the youths who raided and damaged his property during the anti-tax protests in June.
Speaking at a constituency event, Kimani appealed to the state to drop the charges against those arrested for looting and vandalizing his property.
Kimani addressed the issue, saying, “Those youths should have all charges dropped so they can return to work. But let’s agree, a mistake is not merely a mistake; repeating a mistake is what makes it an offense. No matter how angry we are, let’s avoid repeating such actions. Burning live chickens is unacceptable. My chickens did nothing wrong; honestly, it would have been better if you had just taken them and eaten them.”
He continued, “I ask the DCI to drop all charges against those youths so they can get back to work. Let’s agree that we will not repeat this again.”
Following the June protests, police arrested and charged 14 suspects involved in the theft and destruction of MP Kimani’s property. Molo Sub-County Police Commander Timon Odingo confirmed the recovery of some stolen livestock and items.
“Among the items recovered are four cows out of the seven reported missing, with one already slaughtered. We also recovered various household items, including duvets, tables, chairs, electronics, and a printer,” Odingo reported earlier this month.
Kuria Kimani, the chairman of the National Assembly’s Finance and Planning Committee, was at the center of controversy due to the withdrawn Finance Bill 2024.
During the protests, his property suffered significant damage. Protesters torched two motor vehicles, valued at millions of shillings, reducing them to ashes. They also damaged Kimani’s Ford Ranger, smashing its windscreen and scattering shattered glass across his compound.
Protesters further vandalized his home, smashing several windows with stones. They looted and vandalized other parts of his property, stealing hundreds of chickens and setting fire to a poultry shed that housed 10,000 chickens. This resulted in the loss of approximately 2,000 birds. Additionally, they stole or killed seven cows valued at Kes 300,000 each and 29 goats.
