NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 25 – President William Ruto has assured that adequate plans have been put in place to bring down the cost of living amidst the threats by the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya planned protests set for next month.
The President insisted that the slated demonstrations are uncalled for saying they hold no viable solution to alleviate the high cost of living burdening Kenyans.
During a church service in Kajiado County, the head of state castigated the opposition for agitating for lowering the cost of living without a clear understanding of the mechanism of addressing the issue given the country’s economic outlook.
“You are seeing some people wearing sufurias in their head and they are not telling you how sufurias on the head will address the cost of living because they don’t understand. But we have a plan,” he said.
The antigovernmental protest led by Opposition Leader Raila Odinga is set to resume following the passage of the Finance Bill 2023 and the collapse of the bi-partisan talks between the two opposing sides.
Azimio Coalition has expressed readiness to partner with civil society in pushing for their agenda for the sake of Kenyans who are suffering once he jets back to the country.
The Odinga-led coalition had suspended the weekly protest to give dialogue a chance through a 14-member bi-partisan team who fail to reach a consensus on sticky issues.
The Kenya Kwanza Coalition Leader emphasized that the Opposition should be wary of bringing anarchy into the country even as they put the government in check.
“Those in the opposition, I respect you but you must focus on the opposition role knowing Kenya is ours. We should criticize with a plan because we don’t have any other country,” he said.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua warned Azimio against destroying Kenyans’ properties insisting that government will not interfere with their protest.
“Those who were defeated and they said they will go to the streets on Monday, we welcome them. The condition is that they should not destroy people’s property. They cant put sufurias in the head and make all noise,” Gachagua noted.
The Deputy President dared the Azimio Coalition to stage the demonstrations daily saying they will not be cowed in delivering the ruling coalition manifesto.
“Go home and watch yourself in the evening because this TV people will broadcast you live. Those demonstration of destroying people’s property they broadcast live but they don’t show development focus,” he said.
The 14-member taskforce talks collapsed due to failure to agree on terms of engagement during its first meeting, most likely next week, after days of bitter exchanges between ruling coalition and opposition politicians over proposals presented by either side.
A major sticking issue is a demand Odinga that the president agrees to a forensic audit of the electoral commission’s electronic results transmission and the reinstatement of Cherera Four to the poll body.
