Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition has revealed that their signature collection drive aimed at kicking President William Ruto out of office has raised over one million signatures.

The coalition leader, Raila Odinga, stated their intention of kicking out the Kenya Kwanza regime during their rally held at Kamukunji Ground on Friday, July 7. Since then, the opposition has revealed they have made a significant move towards pushing their agenda through the signature collection.

1.2 million mark

“We are aware that Kenya Kwanza has questioned where we will take the signatures and the legality of the exercise. We don’t expect them to understand. They don’t understand the people’s power as of now, but with time, they will.

“But they need to understand we will not take it to the Kenya Kwanza IEBC or their compromised Parliament. We take this early opportunity to thank the 1.2 million people who have signed so far. We appeal to more people to come out and append their signatures to this historic undertaking,” Raila said during the official launch of a public website for signature collection on Tuesday.

Azimio affirms that the activities will not be limited to Kamukunji and Nairobi alone and urges their supporters across the country to support the drive ahead of the second round of protests scheduled for Wednesday, July 12.

“As we launch this, our citizens’ engagement forums that we started in Kamkunji last week will continue. And Kamkunji will not be confined to Nairobi.

“As the people demonstrated last week, Kamkunji will be everywhere and anywhere across the country where Kenyans gather in the name of justice and well-being,” it added.

Assassination claims

Further, the coalition claimed that there were attempts on the life of Odinga during the Saba Saba rally and that a response from the government would not deter them from achieving their target.

“We take note that in the course of our otherwise peaceful activities across the country, Kenya Kwanza responded with live bullets and killed people in various parts of the country. In Nairobi, there was an attempt to assassinate Odinga.

“We know they are getting it very wrong and missing the point that what Kenyans have started is a self-propelling movement. It has never been and it will never be about an individual.

“Just like the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. or the detention of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi did not stop the march for civil rights and freedom in the US, South Africa, and India, no amount of shooting, teargas, or even assassination will stop the march of history in this country,” Azimio’s statement added.

However, they have promised to institute prosecution against police officers whom they claim carried out the forceful response against civilians.

“We intend to move to court and institute prosecution against individual officers who are involved in unconstitutional and illegal actions against protesters in the course of our activities.

“Our activities are protected by the Constitution. By resorting to civil disobedience and protests, we can’t be wrong unless the law itself is wrong. Kenyans must never be made to believe that they are wrong when they protest,” it added.

Finance Act

The controversial Finance Act which introduced additional taxes is one of the biggest reasons why Azimio has heightened their opposition to the Kenya Kwanza government and claimed parliament is no longer serving the people but the executive.

“The Finance Act 2023 clearly exposed the fact that our leaders have decided to take instructions from the executive, and the executive has decided to pursue its own wishes, regardless of what the people feel or say.

“Both the legislature and the executive have ganged up against the people, and the people have been left on their own. In return, the people have decided, rightly, to gang up against the executive and the Legislature,” it concluded.