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Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) county chairpersons have promised to rally behind their party leader Raila Odinga and participate in planned mass action to bring down the cost of living.

Speaking in Nairobi on Friday, February 3, the chairpersons said the cost of living has gone up beyond the reach of many Kenyans and there was a need for the government to act.

“The county chairs are fully behind the party leader to restore the stolen victory, push for an audit of election results, and mass action to reduce the cost of living,” they said in a joint press conference.

At the same time, the 35 county ODM party leaders said they were fully behind the party decision to deregister its members who visited President William Ruto at State House.

“We support steps taken by the party to deregister members who visited State House.

“This will act as a warning to others who may be planning to derail the party in which they are still members,” they said.

The leaders further promised to push for reforms in the Judiciary.

“Judiciary has failed to live up to its constitutional obligation by perpetuating impunity. This was witnessed when the Supreme Court judges dismissed the presidential election petition despite overwhelming evidence of irregularities and illegalities committed by the IEBC,” they stated.

Raila’s demands

During a rally in Kisumu last week, Azimio leader Raila Odinga read a series of resolutions to the crowd that gathered at the stadium and asked them to endorse the declaration which they unanimously did.

Below are the six resolutions Azimio adopted after the Kisumu rally;

Resolutions of Kisumu people’s baraza; February 18 2023.

We, the people, drawn from all the counties of Nyanza, having met here in the city of Kisumu, on this 18th day of February 2023 to deliberate on the state of our nation, hereby resolve as follows:

1. That we are keenly aware of the significance of elections to our welfare as a people and our progress as a nation. Consequently, we willingly and fully associate with the struggle to ensure Electoral Justice in the country.

2. That we willingly and fully associate with the struggle to ensure that at all times, the leadership of this country shall be picked through the ballot in free, fair, transparent and credible elections and that at all times, the choices we make at the ballot shall be respected and stolen election shall not be allowed to stand.

3. That being hit by the rising cost of living and unable to afford basic goods and services, as a result of inhumane government policies, we support and will actively participate in any steps being taken by the people of Kenya to bring down the rising costs of food, fuel, electricity, fees and have salaries raised.

4. That we will fully support and participate in all attempts to make the government listen, make the government care and ensure a better standard of living for all Kenyans.

5. That having participated in the past struggles that have defined our journey as a nation, we shall not let the gains be lost. Instead, we fully and willingly join the struggle to preserve our hard-won democracy, preserve our hard-won multi-party politics and reject all ongoing attempts to make Kenya a single-party state and will work with all other people in other parts of Kenya to ensure that Kenya remains a multi-party democracy that respects the rule of law and rejects all attempts to take the country back to the era of Mtukufu Rais.

6. That with the hindsight of the 2007 elections and the violence that followed, we will work with other Kenyans to ensure the IEBC is constituted in a way that invites the confidence of the people of Kenya and that the IEBC is seen to be non-partisan for the sake of future stability of the nation.