By Veronicah Stellah
Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki has clarified a controversial statement he made in 2020, which seemingly suggested that an all-out war would break out in Kenya due to alleged administrative shortcomings of former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government.
In his capacity as Tharaka Nithi Senator at the time, Kindiki drew parallels between Uhuru’s government and the Biblical king, Belshazzar, before the Senate. Belshazzar, the son of Nabonidus and grandson of the famed Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, allowed arrogance to cloud his judgment. When the Persian Empire attacked, Belshazzar, facing a severe famine, threw a lavish banquet instead of fortifying his defenses. His hubris led to Babylon’s swift fall.
“Instead of being grateful that God had honored him among millions of citizens to be their leader, he entertained a government that was so divisive and oppressive. The Bible says he made a feast where he entertained other important people. He even committed sacrilege by using utensils taken from the temple of Jerusalem,” Kindiki said on the Senate floor in 2020. “Mr. Speaker, as they were enjoying and making merry, as the deep state and system was celebrating, suddenly, there is going to be a war in this country, there is going to be a writing on the wall.”
Speaking on Citizen TV’s ‘Tonight’ show on Thursday, Kindiki clarified that he said “wall” and not “war,” referencing Belshazzar’s Biblical story. According to the Book of Daniel, as Belshazzar and his elite indulged in debauchery and praised false gods, a hand inscribed ‘Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin’ on the wall, meaning ‘God has numbered the days of your kingdom; you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.’
“There are two differences between my speech in 2020 and what happened on June 25th (anti-government demos when Kenyans raided Parliament). The first difference, of course, is that towards the end of that clip, I said that there is going to be a ‘wall’; not war but wall…because I was talking about the writing on the wall,” the Interior boss explained.
Reflecting on the recent anti-government demonstrations, Kindiki emphasized the importance of considering the perspectives and grievances of protesting Kenyans.
“It is the right of Kenyans to tell the government what they think about that government. That is the basis of democracy. Displeasure, disapproval, disaffection—all those things are democratic,” he said. “Citizens telling their government that they think government officials are living large is within their rights. We are listening, and as you have seen from the President’s interview on Sunday and subsequent communications, the government is not only committed to listening to what the people of Kenya are saying but also to implementing every viable solution that can make our country better.”
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