Dagoretti South Member of Parliament John ‘KJ’ Kiarie has finally apologized to Kenyans for utterances he made in the National Assembly, claiming that the images from the Occupy Parliament protests were doctored and did not reflect the true state of affairs.
Proclaiming himself to be an expert in photography and able to spot a photo that had been digitally altered, Kiarie informed the House that some of the images that had been widely circulated online in the wake of Tuesday’s protests were, in fact, old photos that had been downloaded from different protests around the globe.
The photo expert has now changed his mind with an apology:
“I TRULY APOLOGISE for the comments I made regarding the protests and the authenticity of certain images.
In the heat of the moment during the debate on the finance bill, my words were unnecessary, misguided and insensitive.
I deeply regret my utterances and understand the anger and frustration that exists in our nation. Anger that stems from decades of unresolved, but potent national issues.
Having been a part of movements for social justice and human rights in the past, I acknowledge the importance of vigilance and popular agitation for a better Kenya.
I appreciate the courage and creativity shown by the younger generation in advocating for change through innovative means, including social media and other emerging technologies.
I am sincerely sorry for any provocation, hurt or confusion my words may have caused.
I definitely have learnt a lot from this and also from all the active listening and engagements that I have been doing this weekend,” his statement reads.
