MP Bashir responds to controversial comments over ‘Blood Parliament’ expose'

Mandera North MP Bashir Abdullahi has responded following widespread backlash over a viral video of his remarks in Parliament.

The footage, which quickly made the rounds on social media, captured Abdullahi speaking about the BBC documentary "Blood Parliament."

The documentary named two police officers and a soldier believed to be responsible for the fatal shootings of protesters outside Parliament on June 25, 2024.

His comments sparked a wave of criticism, with many Kenyans accusing Members of Parliament of downplaying the incident instead of pursuing justice for the victims’ families.

"A very sad day indeed, tragic and shameful. Tragic in the sense that we lost the lives of our fellow Kenyans, shameful in the sense that the democracy of our Parliament was about to be infringed, and nevertheless, it has come at this time, a time that we have really moved on," he said.

"We spoke about that issue in this house, discussed it, sympathised and mourned our fellow Kenyans who passed on during that day," he said.

"However, it has come at this time again when, as much as we agree that our fellow Kenyans lost their lives, unfortunately, we also moved on to ensure that we reconcile the country as we move on. It happens the world over, people are killed, we sympathise and we move on," he added.

These remarks angered many Kenyans on social media, who felt that leaders were more focused on moving on than pushing for justice for the victims and their loved ones.

Following public uproar, MP Bashir took to his X account on May 1 to clarify his position, saying that his remarks had been misinterpreted and misrepresented.

"My fellow Kenyans, I've been closely following the recent public discourse surrounding a phrase—‘we sympathise and move on’—that has been linked to me during a Parliamentary session. While the expression has gained traction online, it has unfortunately been distorted and does not accurately capture the context or intention behind my words," he wrote.

Bashir clarified that he was in attendance during the session in which lawmakers strongly condemned the events of June 25, a day when Kenyan lives were lost during demonstrations against the Finance Bill.

"I want to make things absolutely clear. I was in Parliament on that somber day when we, as a united House, stood in condemnation of the tragic loss of life on June 25, 2024," he said.

"Young, innocent Kenyans died during protests against the Finance Bill. We collectively mourned and expressed our solidarity with the grieving families. At no point did I seek to minimize or disregard the suffering caused by those events."

He urged authorities to take firm action against those behind the killings. Bashir expressed regret to anyone affected by his remarks.