NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 7-Azimio leader Raila Odinga has announced more protests on Wednesday next week following what he described a “successful mission from the Friday rally.
Odinga said he was happy that his supporters were brave enough to march to the Nairobi Central Business District from Kamukunji where he addressed a rally.
“We made a major achievement because we were able to access the CBD even though police tried to stop us,” he said, declaring that “We are unstoppable.”
Police lobbed teargas to disperse a crowd that was following him from Kamukunji where he was accompanied by dozens of other Opposition leaders.
“We even got to KICC where they have always blocked us from accessing and we ended up at Central Park which was our destination from Kamukunji,” he said, “so after this sucessful raly, we are going to have another one on Wednesday next week.”
Odinga told journalists during a briefing at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation (JOOF) that the move is part of the renewed efforts to pressure President William Ruto out of power.
“The power belongs to the people and that is why I am saying that we must get it back,” he said as he launched the collection of 10 million signatures.
The Azimio leader also fingered police for their move to block the protests which he said is the constitutional right of Kenyans even as he claimed that his convoy had been shot at by during Friday’s demos.
He displayed pictures at the press conference that showed what appeared like a bullet hole on the side of his vehicle.
Another image showed part of his vehicle’s rear window vandalized.
“We were actually aiming to get to the KICC, and they blocked us, and they were shooting in our direction,” Odinga said as he showed journalist parts of the damage to his vehicle.
Earlier Odinga had ordered a mass march to Nairobi’s Central Park on Friday in renewed agitation against President Ruto’s presidency.
However, athough Odinga managed to access the City Centre his entourage was met with heavy force by the anti-riot police who deployed teargas and water cannon to stop him and his supporters from accessing Central Park.
Odinga who has refused to acknowledge Ruto’s presidency despite the Supreme Court dismissing his challenge in September 2022 asked his supporters to “directly exercise power” terming President Ruto’s mandate as “illegal”.
“We are saying today that the time for discussions is over. Our constitution in Chapter One, says power is in the hands of the people. And they can exercise that power anytime,” he told his supporters at a rally in Nairobi’s Kamukunji grounds.
Hundreds of Azimio supporters gathered at Kamukunji as Odinga readied for a fresh round of anti-government protests weeks after his troops ditched bipartisan talks in Parliament.
Addressing his supporters on Friday, Odinga who has lost a significant number of Azimio lawmakers to Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza side said Parliament had betrayed Kenyans.
“Kenyans elected leaders to Parliament, and they have betrayed them. Ruto himself who took over power illegally has betrayed Kenyans.”
The opposition chief said the protests were in response to the high cost of living and what he termed as “punitive taxes” imposed by President Ruto’s administration.
Undeterred by the early morning cold and early morning showers, the supporters voiced their dissatisfaction with the state of the economy and the tax measures enforced by President Ruto’s government under the Finance Act 2023.
Some chanted “tumechoka!” (we’re tired!) as they blew whistles displaying coordinated messages sanctioned by the Odinga-led opposition alliance.
Odinga has since kicked off the collection of 10 million signatures, saying Kenyans are tired after the Finance Bill was approved leading to the skyrocketing commodity prices.
Odinga said stated that he is determined to ensure power gets back to the people through constitutional means.
“Power belongs to the people and that is what the Constitution says,” he told a Saba Saba rally in Kamukunji Friday, “We are starting to collect ten million signatures from today, and by the end of next week we will have them.”
