National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has taken issue with sections of the clergy whom he accused of encouraging anti-government demonstrations, warning that such rhetoric risks inciting unrest and economic disruption.

Speaking during a Sunday service in Kapsabet, Ichung’wah said it was regrettable that some religious leaders had, in his view, embraced voices that embolden young people to take to the streets, leading to looting and destruction of businesses.

“Even as we exercise our right to speak out, we must not burn our country,” he said. “It is sad to see some church leaders tempted to listen to negative voices that do not offer constructive solutions.”

He urged the clergy to guide the youth toward productive engagement rather than street protests, which he claimed scare away investors and destroy job opportunities.

“Once you finish protesting, you’ll still need employment. But the very investors you’re chasing out are the ones creating those jobs,” he noted.

Ichung’wah also appealed to the youth to exercise restraint, adding that it is possible to demonstrate without resorting to violence or targeting critical infrastructure.

“Let the younger generation learn to seek peace and make their voices heard through peaceful means. There’s no need to wreck the same country you want to thrive in,” he said.

His remarks were echoed by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei and Farouk Kibet, a close aide to President William Ruto, who also condemned the destruction witnessed during the June 25 protests.

The nationwide demonstrations, held to mark the anniversary of last year’s youth-led movement, were marred by widespread chaos. In Nairobi’s CBD, shops were looted, some set ablaze, and several properties vandalized in what government officials described as targeted economic sabotage.

President Ruto, while addressing the matter, vowed stern action against perpetrators, noting that the Constitution guarantees peaceful protest—not lawlessness.

“Let’s be honest. What we saw was not peaceful picketing. It was planned chaos, a deliberate effort to destabilize the economy. That is sabotage, pure and simple,” he said.

Leaders across the divide have since traded blame, with each side accusing the other of infiltrating the demonstrations to provoke violence.