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Opposition leader Raila Odinga yesterday led his troops in the second week of street protests in Nairobi.

This happened on a day that goons invaded retired President Uhuru Kenyatta family’s land and vandalised Raila’s Spectre International East Africa on Mombasa Road.

Raila spent the better part of the morning holed up in a strategy meeting at Chungwa House before emerging at around 1.35pm to lead the protests.

The former Prime Minster was expected to lead demonstrations in Nairobi’s central business district but instead decided go to Kawangware because of the heavy police presence in the city centre.

While addressing crowds in the densely populated Kawangware in Dagoretti North, Raila demanded that the government brings down the cost of living.

Raila also maintained that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission servers must be opened to establish who between him and President William Ruto won the August 2022 presidential election.

“The cost of living is too high and is not within the reach of the common citizen. They must reduce the cost of living. We are also demanding that they open the servers so that we see who won the elections,” said Raila.

Earlier in the day, police officers had cordoned off Mathare, Kibra, Jacaranda and other estates within Nairobi to keep the protestors at bay.

The security officers had a rough time sealing off the Mathare slums, with protestors engaging the police in a cat and mouse game for the better part of the morning.

Accompanied by Azimio leaders Narc Kenya’s Martha Karua, Wiper boss Kalonzo Musyoka, Roots Party leader George Wajackoya and Democratic Action Party leader Eugene Wamalwa, Raila vowed to press on with the protests until the government lowers the cost of food and other essentials.

Utensils

He also condemned the invasion of property belonging to the Kenyatta family in Ruiru, Kiambu County and blamed the Kenya Kwanza government for the incident.

While Raila motorcade snaked its way through Kawangware, police lobed teargas canisters while trucks splashed water on the crowds.

During the demonstrations, the protesters carried twigs, placards, utensils and foodstuffs.

Protestors threw stones at police officers who attempted to stop Raila’s convoy, and when they were overpowered, scampered for safety.

Also in the convoy was Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, Senators Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi), Godfrey Osotsi (Vihiga) and their National Assembly counterparts Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Sam Atandi (Alego Usonga) among others.

In Mathare, there was heavy exchange between armed police officers and stone-throwing youths who engaged the law enforcers in daylong running battles.

The police fired teargas canisters to the rowdy youths only for them to return the canisters in a classical example of “back to sender”.

The standoff led to incidents of goons taking advantage of the situation to rob passersby along Juja Road.

A similar situation was witnessed in Kibra, Raila’s political bedrock.

The residents woke up to heavy deployment of contingent of police officers barricading roads and stopping the demonstrators from leaving the estate.

In the morning, protesters set tyres on fire with the police lobbing teargas canisters to disperse the youths.

Some youths in Kibra took advantage of the protests to rob passersby.

Some of journalists lost valuables to gangs while vehicles were damaged.