Kenyans are today bracing for a day full of uncertainty with six major protests from different sectors lined up, likely to cause large-scale disruptions across the country.

With President William Ruto breathing fire and brimstone, as he dared the opposition to hold anti-government protests, Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga maintained that another round of countrywide protests scheduled for today will go on as planned.

Vowing to push on with his call for civil disobedience, Raila said their grievances on the high cost of living and punitive taxes were non-negotiable.

The Azimio protests are likely to coincide with separate demonstrations called by the Public Service Vehicles (PSVs), app-based taxi operators, People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs), long distance drivers, and boda boda operators to protest burning issues allegedly affecting them.

Taxi operators announced a nationwide strike for today, over alleged insecurity, escalating fuel prices, and pay rates set by their respective digital companies.

PSVs issued a 21-day strike notice that also lapses today to protest the mandatory re-testing conducted by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).

Voicing similar concerns as their PSV counterparts, long-distance drivers and boda boda operators, claim the re-testing of drivers is punitive and aimed at frustrating motorists.

Similarly, PLWDs are also headed to the streets to urge the government to provide them with jobs and other services that are aimed at improving their welfare.

But Ruto warned he will not allow Azimio to continue taking advantage of the unemployed youth to advance selfish political agenda.

“Hakuna mtoto amezaliwa Kenya hii kufanyishwa maandamano ama kufanya kazi ya kutupa mawe (no Kenyan child was born to participate in protests or to be forced to throw stones). Tomorrow (today) there will be peace. I expect everybody to be going on with their work,” he said.

He cautioned the opposition that his government will not stand more deaths of Kenyans while participating in the opposition-convened protests.

“I hear those people want to protest, No, it will not happen. Last Friday, five people died in the protests. I will not allow any other loss of life,” Dr Ruto said. “It is not right for a few people to think that they can disorganised the whole country, sabotage the economy and cause mayhem, cause bloodshed, cause destruction of property. That is not politics, that is anarchy.”

But the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya leader maintained that they will hold their protests today to push the government to lower the cost of living and repeal the controversial 2023 Finance bill which the courts halted its implementation.

The leaders said that the passing of Finance Law on taxation clearly indicated that elected leaders have neglected their voters and decided to take instructions from the executive which is pursuing 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. The people have decided to invoke Article 1 of the Constitution,” Azimio leader Raila Odinga said.

The opposition said his team would rally people to take back the powers delegated to the leaders adding that their protests are meant to express peoples’ displeasure with punitive, unfair and unjust taxes that President Ruto has decided to impose on people without their consent.

Raila said that they would continue to oppose policy decisions by the Kenya Kwanza regime that are making life unbearable to a great majority of Kenyans despite the consistent appeal by Kenyans for the regime to take action to lessen their burden.

The Azimio leader who also launched a digital platform dubbed Tumechoka to collect signatures in a bid to oust the government said the move is complementary to their other efforts and platforms including civil disobedience, tax boycotts and defiance that are meant to compel the Kenya Kwanza regime to repeal the Finance Act 2023 and take deliberate steps to lower the cost of living.

“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,” Raila added.

The opposition chief said that about 1.2 million people have signed so far and appealed to more people to come out and append their signatures to the ‘historic’ undertaking.

According to Raila, by resorting to civil disobedience and protests, the opposition can’t be wrong unless the law itself is wrong and thus the government cannot incriminate them by use of excessive police force.
“We, therefore, ask Kenyans to film, photograph and record all those police officers who shoot at or in any other way hurt protesters in the course of our activities. Such officers are acting in disregard of the constitution and we must make them pay for their illegal activities,” Raila emphasised.

Meanwhile, various lobby groups whose members have been worst hit by the economic hardship due to the high cost of living and the record high fuel prices have sought to be enjoined in the anti-government protests called by the opposition.

Taxi and public transport operators have indicated their intention to participate in the demonstrations citing the high cost of fuel which has eaten into their profits. Matatu owners, despite hiking fares after fuel prices increased, says they are still falling short of their expected profit margins.