Balaam Barugahara, Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, has issued a cautionary message to the youth, urging them to refrain from participating in street protests due to serious security threats.
Speaking on NBS Television’s social media platform, Barugahara drew from his personal experience as a former protest leader to highlight the potential dangers involved.
“You speak to so many, but few will understand. I speak to the young people as somebody who has been a protest leader before,” he said.
He shared how he and his fellow protestors were apprehended and faced disciplinary actions, which led to their discontinuation from various activities.
Balaam emphasized that the president’s advice against street protests is often based on credible intelligence regarding potential threats.
He warned that there could be risks of attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) or other elements seeking to disrupt public order.
“When the president tells the young people not to go on the streets, probably he had been informed about an ADF likely attack or involvement or wrong elements like the copy and paste of Nairobi, who want to disorganize public order,” he explained.
