‘Nimeeka mitego kila pahali’ – Gachagua scoffs at Raila’s call for silent dissent against gov’t

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has taken a swipe at Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga over his coalition’s planned silent dissent against the government in efforts to put pressure on President William Ruto’s administration.

Raila had on Friday, August 11, 2023, said that his coalition will no longer ask its followers for street protests but instead, they will ask supporters to remain home as a silent discordance with the government.

“Next time we will not tell people to come out to the streets; we will tell them to stay in their homes and see what they (government) are going to do. We will tell them to stay at home and stop anyone who tries to come out,” Raila said.

The opposition leader who was speaking at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Park, explained that the move will enable the opposition to achieve its goal of exerting pressure on Ruto’s government.

“These acts will not cow us; we don’t even have to bring people on the streets. We can tell them to stay at home [and] that is another way of expressing displeasure and dissatisfaction,” he added.

Gachagua’s response

But in a response by Gachagua, Kenya Kwanza affirmed that they will not budge to feed into the demands of the opposition.

Speaking on Saturday, August 12, 2023, Gachagua stressed that the President William Ruto-led administration will not tolerate any planned demonstrations nor any planned activities that would willingly ‘jeopardize’ service delivery.

He insisted that the Kenya Kwanza regime will not agree to a handshake government with the opposition.

“Mimi na Rais hatuna nafasi ya kuenda mazungumzo, wale wako pale wazungumze ile watakubaliana watuambie kama kuna kitu ya kukubaliana. Mambo ya uchaguzi iliisha, wakuje tukutane 2027. Lakini mambo ya handshake, nusu mkate haiwezekani, hio ni ndoto ya mchana. Hawa watu wamezoea vibaya kutoa fujo wanaitwa wanaambiwa ketini tujadiliane.

“Tumeona juzi mzee akisema si lazima watoe watu kwa barabara hata watu wanaeza zuiliwa kutoka kwa nyumba. Anasema si lazima utoe watu kwa bara bara lakini haiwezekani, tumehakikisha hakuna mtu ataeenda kwa barabara….” he added.

He, at the same time, affirmed his commitment to ensuring that the President is not destructed when discharging his mandated roles by always being on the lookout for the opposition.

Similarly, he assured Kenyans that the ruling administration will effectively deliver on its campaign promises.

“Hakuna mtu atatatiza rais hio ndio kazi yangu na mtu hio State House mlango yoyote anaeza ingia nimeeka mitego kila pahali. I want to assure you to relax, there is nobody atatatiza rais kufanya kazi,” he added.