Pictures of popular political activist Kasmuel McOure and South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro went viral on Wednesday, September 19, eliciting speculations from Kenyans on social media.
Many Kenyans could not fathom why Kasmuel, a fierce critic of the Kenya Kwanza Government, would meet with MP Osoro, who is the Majority Whip in the National Assembly.
Some even started speculating that maybe Kasmuel had jumped ship and started working with the very government he was against.
But in a long post on his X handle, Kasmuel has explained why he met with the MP.
“I go to that members’ club often and meet plenty of Kenyans there. The Majority Whip of Parliament is one of the many members,” Kasmuel wrote. “It was my first time meeting him, and I took the opportunity to say to his face what I’ve always said online: Their government has failed us in fundamental ways. Extrajudicial killings, false promises on service delivery, and a blatant disregard for the rule of law.”
Kasmuel goes further to say that during the discussion, the duo disagreed — as expected — on several issues but agreed on a few of them, blasting his critics who he says are hellbent on relegating him on street protests.
“…You can not only dismiss me to die in the streets, as if my leadership was destined to end there. If I get the chance to speak truth to power, I’ll do it every time. The influence I have is held in escrow, representing the underprivileged youth we engage with in communities across the country. It stands for the families of those who marched with me but never returned. I wish you’d also shine as great a light on those moments and help us drive that conversation forward.”
Kasmuel adds: “If the acceptable version of civic education to the online population is about holding rallies, then we’ll start this week, ensuring no community (both online and on-ground) is left out. We’ll keep our door-to-door campaigns going while also taking civic education to marketplaces and bus stages. We will drain this swamp and take political power!”
Kasmuel came into the limelight during the Gen Z-led anti-government protests that began in June and ran through to July 2024, to champion for good governance.
