Mandera North MP Bashir Abdullahi has found himself at the center of public anger after a video of him speaking in Parliament went viral. The clip showed him talking about the BBC documentary Blood Parliament, which exposed the involvement of two police officers and a soldier in the killings of protesters outside Parliament on June 25, 2024.
His remarks, which many Kenyans felt were dismissive, caused a strong backlash online. In the video, Bashir referred to the events as both tragic and shameful. He mentioned that the day was tragic because innocent lives were lost and shameful because Parliament’s democracy was almost violated. But what upset people the most was his statement that the country had “moved on” from the tragedy. He added that while they acknowledged the loss of life, it was important to reconcile the country and continue forward, even saying that deaths during protests happen around the world and people move on.
These words did not sit well with many Kenyans, especially those still grieving or calling for justice. Online users accused Bashir and other MPs of trying to sweep the matter under the rug. They felt that instead of taking action against those behind the killings, leaders were attempting to forget the events and silence the pain of the victims’ families.
Some called it a betrayal of public trust and questioned whether Parliament was truly representing the will of the people.In response to the growing criticism, Bashir took to his X account on May 1 to clarify his comments. He explained that the phrase “we sympathise and move on” had been taken out of context and did not reflect what he truly meant.
According to him, his full message was about healing the nation while still pushing for justice. He said he had been in Parliament when the matter was first discussed and that he fully supported the condemnation of the violence that took place on June 25. He said the MPs had mourned with the families of those killed and had not tried to ignore what happened.
Bashir went further to say that he supported efforts to hold the officers involved in the killings accountable. He offered a sincere apology to anyone who felt hurt by his words and said his intention was never to downplay the suffering. He reminded Kenyans that he is a servant of the people and promised to stand with the victims and their families.This incident has sparked more debate about how leaders handle sensitive issues like police violence and killings.
Many Kenyans feel that statements like “we move on” are used too quickly without giving justice enough time to be served. It has raised concerns that leaders are not doing enough to protect citizens or to hold security forces accountable when they break the law.
The public is demanding not just apologies, but real action, and it is clear that many will continue to watch closely how Parliament handles this matter going forward.
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