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Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition leaders yesterday remained defiant that they would push ahead with this week’s anti-government protests over the high cost of living.

The leaders who spoke after attending the coalition’s Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting in Nairobi said no amount of threats will force them to call off the protests planned for tomorrow, Thursday and Friday.

They spoke even as reports emerged that the government had withdrawn the security detail attached to a number of the opposition leaders ahead of the protests set to be held across the country.

Among those whose security detail was withdrawn were governors Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu), Ochillo Ayacko (Migori), James Orengo (Siaya), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay) and Mathews Owili (Kisumu Deputy Governor) (See separate story).

Speaking after the PG meeting yesterday, the Azimio leaders told Kenya Kwanza to stop interfering with the protests adding that they are aware of a plot by Kenya Kwanza MPs to mobilize their supporters to counter protesters. “The thousands of Kenyans turning up for protests are not just Azimio supporters. These are Kenyans from across all political and non-political formations who have been brought together by suffering. The protesters are from Azimio, Ford Kenya, ANC, and even Kenya Kwanza,” said National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi.

They also claimed that the government has hired members of that killer squad called Operations Support Unit who have been instructed to maim and kill protesters including Azimio leaders in the name of countering the anti-government protest.

“We take great exceptions to the continued threats to the life of our leader, Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga as propagated by senior leaders of the Kenya Kwanza regime. There will be a price to pay for those threats,” Wandayi said. In a recent meeting with Kenya Kwanza legislators, President William Ruto said that the anti-government protests being championed by the opposition are meant to derail his government’s agenda and sabotage his efforts to revive the economy.

During the meeting, arresting of opposition chief Raila Odinga in a bid to stop the protests was ruled out as the legislators felt that the move will plunge the government into his trap and will only give the opposition political mileage and sympathy.

Find solutions

They claimed that the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition has lost track and is over-dwelling on past political events to conceal its underperformance in service delivery to the public.

The opposition said that the ruling coalition is still preoccupied with the 2008 power sharing deal and the 2018 handshake yet has failed to find solutions to pressing issues such as rising cost of living.

“We ask Kenya Kwanza to wake up and move on, past handshake and nusu mkate. Kenyans have moved on. Because of its lack of imagination, Kenya Kwanza is the only political formation still thinking and talking about handshake,” said Wandayi.   

The Ugunja MP stated that it is not incumbent upon the opposition to advice the government on how to address challenges that Kenyans are facing adding that Kenya Kwanza should carry its cross.

“Kenya Kwanza is accusing Azimio of failing to provide solutions to the rising cost of living. We know no country where a party stays in government but wants the one out of government to provide solutions to the problems of the people. Don’t ask us for solutions. Quit and pave way for a regime that has solutions,” Wandayi emphasised.

The opposition accused Ruto’s government of disregarding the present needs of Kenyans like cost of food and making impractical policies to their problems. They rubbished the introduction of Hustler Fund and reduction of budget deficit by Sh500 billion saying that the move will not lower the cost of food.

“We do not understand Kenya Kwanza’s obsession with seeing and doing what Kenyans have not asked for. As far as we know, Kenyans have never asked for funds to be launched,” Wandayi said. “Kenyans have specifically asked for the cost of goods to come down and taxes to be reduced. Don’t tell Kenyans about Hustler Fund at its next phase. People don’t eat Funds. Tell Kenyans how food will be affordable now, today.”