By Offor David

The ongoing protest in Kenya has attracted significant media attention, with most focusing on the outcries of the Gen Z protesters who initially demanded the scrapping of tax hikes proposed by President William Ruto. Although the President has withdrawn the bills, the youths continue to make unnecessary demands beyond the initial purpose of the protest. However, there are other sides to this story that people are not discussing.

Firstly, the Kenyan economy has been severely damaged, and the destruction caused by the protest will take decades to repair. Libya is a prime example of a country that still hasn’t recovered from similar unrest.

Secondly, over a thousand lives have been lost as the protest has turned violent, affecting security agencies, youths, and average citizens. Families have lost loved ones, and some have lost their breadwinners.

Furthermore, public buildings and infrastructure are being destroyed, many of which were built before the protesters were born. This raises the question of why they are destroying their country’s assets due to displeasure with a government policy.

While Americans protested after their last presidential election, they preserved their national assets, believing in “America First.” In contrast, Africans seem to have the opposite mentality.

Additionally, many businesses, both private and public, have been looted and razed during the protest, forcing people to lose their means of livelihood and existence.

In Nigeria, we have had the Endsars protest, which brought our country to its knees, and people are still counting their losses four years later.

While protest is a right, doing so without structured leadership can lead to avoidable losses. We must avoid another Endsars or a repeat of what’s happening in Kenya.

Some enemies of this government seek to cause problems periodically because their preferred candidates lost the election. However, patriotic Nigerians won’t allow it. We must give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the benefit of doubt and remember that he can’t solve 64 years of Nigeria’s problems in a year.

Finally, I urge all Nigerians to prioritize our country’s success, acknowledging that no matter its challenges, there’s no place like home. You can hate the government, but never hate the country. May Nigeria succeed.