Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition party leaders n Meru were on Tuesday forced to board boda bodas after clashing with the police.

Led by Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua, former Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni and former Agriculture CS Peter Munya, the leaders were denied entry into a hotel on Wednesday, July 12, 2023.

The leaders were scheduled to lead anti-government protests in Meru, but the police kept on their trail before blocking them from accessing the hotel.

In a video, the leaders were seen alighting from their cars before boarding motorbikes to an unknown destination.

Led by Munya, the politicians were scheduled to lead protests in three areas including Meru town, Muthara market and Maua town.

On Wednesday, the country experienced widespread protests in different counties including Nairobi, Nyeri, Busia, Nakuru, Kitale, Kisii, Migori, Mombasa and Makueni among other counties.

The protests called by Azimio coincided with a strike by public service vehicle operators, who are protesting the high cost of fuel.

In Nairobi, police kept vigil at Azimio leader Raila Odinga’s home, in what is suspected to be a move to block him from leaving to lead protests in Nairobi.

Raila was scheduled to address a rally at Kamukunji grounds before leading protestors to Nairobi’s Central Business District. By the time of going to press, the opposition leader had neither appeared in public nor issued a statement.

Azimio co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka had also not made an appearance.

Azimio is currently protesting the Finance Act 2023, seeking to have it repealed terming it as burdensome to Kenyans.

Through the demos, Azimio says it is also pushing for a bipartisan reconstitution of the IEBC, an audit of the 2022 elections and an end to the invasion and compromising of parties and MPs.