Opposition lawmakers have rejected claims that they orchestrated Wednesday’s deadly Gen Z protests, accusing the government of scapegoating and ignoring the real issues driving public unrest.

In a sharp response, the leaders dismissed allegations of a plot to topple the administration and instead urged President William Ruto to re-engage with the youth, whom they said feel abandoned and betrayed.

Led by Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo, the leaders said it was dishonest for government officials to blame opposition figures or former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for the countrywide protests, which were sparked by anger over extrajudicial killings, abductions and broken promises.

“There are many things this government has done that have angered the people. There is a serious disconnect between the government and the people and no effort is being made to bridge that gap,” Maanzo said.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, together with National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and Minority Whip Junet Mohamed, had claimed the protests were part of a broader scheme to force regime change.

“The plan was to take symbols of authority and democracy – namely, Parliament and State House – to show that some sort of regime change had been achieved,” Murkomen told the National Assembly.

Junet went on to name Maanzo and Embakasi MPs Benjamin Mwangi and James Gakuya as having ferried youth into Nairobi to participate in the protests. “What happened in our country yesterday was not a normal demonstration. It was not a Gen Z demonstration,” said Junet, a close ally of ODM leader Raila Odinga.

However, he was ordered to withdraw his remarks after Deputy Minority Leader Robert Mbui objected and Speaker Moses Wetang’ula ruled that naming lawmakers without a substantive motion was out of order.

Maanzo, a Wiper party loyalist, dismissed the claims as false and politically motivated. “I did not mobilise any youths. That is not the kind of politics I engage in. No Kamba youth was brought to demonstrate in Nairobi,” he said.

He also pushed back against the suggestion that the protests were a coup attempt, noting the widespread nature of the demonstrations across more than 25 counties.

“This was not a coup. The Constitution of Kenya cannot be overthrown by anyone, including Gen Z. What Gen Z can do is get IDs, register as voters and remove this government in 2027,” Maanzo added.

He blamed the unrest on ongoing abductions, extrajudicial killings, rampant corruption, and unmet government pledges.

Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia also rejected the narrative that Gachagua was behind the protests, saying it was misleading to attribute a national outcry to one individual.

“Gachagua could not have been everywhere to mobilise the youth. This House must recognise what happened on Wednesday as a ticking time bomb. There is a clear disconnect between Gen Z and national leadership,” she said.

“We cannot pretend we don’t understand the root causes. Unemployment, abductions and the continued killings of young people are the issues Gen Z is reacting to. That’s why they came out.”

Deputy Minority Leader Robert Mbui echoed the same position, insisting the protests were spontaneous and not influenced by political figures.