Nairobi — Veteran Second Liberation activist Wafula Buke has warned that Kenya's ongoing anti-fuel hike protests risk spiraling into prolonged instability due to the absence of centralized leadership and a defined negotiation strategy.
His remarks come on the back of a largely successful two day transport operators nationwide shutdown over rising diesel prices, which compelled the government call for talks to end demonstrations that disrupted transport and commerce across key economic corridors.
However Buke argues that spontaneous public anger alone is unlikely to force policy reversals without structured political coordination.
"A successful struggle requires a clear exit strategy," Buke observed. "You need an authoritative figurehead capable of sitting at the negotiating table to extract explicit legislative concessions from the state."
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Buke, who has also worked as political strategist to veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga said previous waves of Kenyan mass action succeeded not only because of public pressure but because Raila could manage escalation and negotiate outcomes directly with the government.
"Historically, mass action in Kenya succeeded because it had a single tap that could be turned on or off," he said.
Buke warned that the current movement's decentralized nature leaves it exposed to infiltration, disorder, and violent confrontation.
"When protest has no defined leadership ring, it becomes an open field," he stated.
Buke cautioned that without a recognized political leadership structure, protesters may struggle to translate public anger into concrete policy outcomes, even as economic frustration intensifies nationwide.
By Yvonne Mandela
