Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga has insisted that the planned anti-government protests by the opposition will still take place on Tuesday despite a ban issued by the police today morning.
Raila has insisted that they will be exercising their constitutional right to assemble, demonstrate, and picket and that instead of banning them, the police should just provide security. Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said earlier today that a decision had been made that Azimio under the leadership of Raila Odinga should not hold demonstrations in the city.
“We are declining to allow Azimio to conduct demonstrations and there will be no demos in the city of Nairobi. We also assure Kenyans of their safety during tomorrow’s (Labour Day) celebrations,” he said.
“Processions that are not peaceful are prohibited-if they consist of violence or intimidation the demonstrations have to be stopped. Demonstrators must not be armed,” the Nairobi County police boss said.
“The Azimio demonstrations were nothing sort of peaceful as such by this letter we are declining to allow the Azimio team the go-ahead to proceed with the demonstrations and any such demonstration will be dispensed by law enforcement officers,” said Bungei
Raila who is still yet to concede that he lost last year’s elections to President William Ruto has issued a route map that Azimio intends to use on Tuesday. He has said that will present petitions to four government offices with their demands.
“We shall also petition IEBC against the sacking of the four commissioners because it presents a dangerous precedent in which in all future elections, all commissioners will be required to agree with the chairperson of IEBC, effectively making the election a one-person show,” he said.
Additionally, they will also present a petition to the Office of the President “proving that the cost of food, fuel, electricity and fees remain unacceptably high.”
“We will further petition OP to desist from invading and destroying rival political parties as was attempted on Jubilee headquarters and through the auction of MPs in Parliament,” he added.
After that the veteran politician has said that the Azimio brigade will head to the National Treasury. While there, they will demand for the release of funds owed to counties.
“We plan to visit the Public Service Commission on the day to demand that appointments to public offices be done purely on the basis of merit and inclusivity, not tribe as is presently the case. We cannot have a country of close to 50 tribes where appointments go only to members of one tribe,” Odinga’s statement further read.
Ruto has warned the opposition from coming out on the streets on Tuesday. Speaking in Malava, Kakamega County on Saturday, Ruto explained that he reached out to Azimio leader Raila Odinga in a bid to find an amicable solution to end the ongoing rift between the opposition and his government.
He has told the opposition that they will know that he is the commander-in-chief should they go on with the protests.
“Mimi niliwaambia ile wiki ingine; nikaita yule mzee wa kitendawili na nikamwambia wewe wacha hii maandamano tupeleke hii maneno yote unasema bunge; wabunge waangalie kama kuna maneno ya ukweli,” said a visibly irked Ruto.
“Sasa ati wamekataa hiyo ya kwenda kuongea kwa amani kwa bunge. Ati wanataka kurudi maandamano. Ati waende wavunje mali na kuharibu biashara ya wananchi. Mimi ndio commander-in-chief. Nyinyi mtajua hamjui. Wawache hiyo mchezo.”
