President William Ruto said that while the Constitution permits anyone, including the opposition, to picket, it does not allow chaos. He made the remarks a day after riot police dispersed opposition protests organized by Raila Odinga, which escalated into full‑blown violence in Nairobi and Kisumu. A police officer died in Kisumu, and shops and other businesses were looted in both cities. “It is my position that the Constitution did not envisage that different opinions would result in chaos, loss of property, or loss of lives. We must all be able to celebrate the rights provided in our Constitution in a manner that respects the rights of others,” Ruto said on Friday while presiding over the launch of the Public Service Commission’s Values and Principles Compliance Report for 2021‑2022.
Ruto faulted the protests by the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya leaders, stating that the Constitution does not envisage divergent opinions expressed through the destruction of property and loss of lives. He expressed concern that the Azimio protests scheduled every Monday and Thursday have disrupted learning activities across the country. “We must respect other people’s rights in a manner that doesn’t destroy property or prevent our children from going to school,” he added. “I think we can do that; we are mature enough to do that. I think all of us will begin to understand where we should go.”
Opposition leader Raila Odisha warned of what he called the “mother of all protests” set for next Monday. “We are very reasonable people and we believe we have very valid reasons to have a conversation, but in the absence of preparedness on the other side to cooperate, these demonstrations will continue,” he said. Speaking from his Karen residence after Thursday’s protests, Odinga insisted that, despite police high‑handedness in blocking Azimio supporters, the movement would not stop pushing for electoral reforms and a reduction in the high cost of living. He maintains that he won last year’s election and accuses President Ruto of stealing his votes. “I am saying that the IEBC servers must be opened so that we can know the truth,” he demanded, calling for the reinstatement of four commissioners who had disowned the final results, which they claimed were rigged in Ruto’s favor. Odinga’s Supreme Court petition was dismissed for lack of evidence, and he criticized the ongoing effort to reconstitute the electoral commission as futile unless all parties are involved.
Odinga also condemned the violence against journalists during the protest, noting that several were injured when tear‑gas canisters were lobbed at their vehicle. “It is very unfortunate that the media is being targeted for attack. Several journalists have been injured today by the tear‑gas canisters that have been thrown left, right and centre,” he said. He alleged that Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichungwa plotted the attack on journalists and that a plan had been hatched to target Royal Media Services, owners of Citizen TV and several radio stations. “We had information that they were planning to attack Uhuru’s farm, residences, and the Royal Media premises. I heard from credible sources that Gachagua, Ichungwa, and Ndindi Nyoro were planning this,” Odinga claimed, adding that “these people are not the people who are called the Deputy President and Majority Leader; these are people who belong in jail.”
The Azimio leader is pressing the Ruto administration to rescind its decision to remove subsidies on key food commodities, arguing that the subsidies are essential to alleviate the suffering caused by circumstances beyond the country’s control. “That’s why we are calling for the subsidies, which were introduced to alleviate the suffering of our people, to be restored irrespective of what the IMF or the World Bank says,” Odinga asserted. Sporadic violence broke out in Kenya on Thursday, marking the third day of opposition demonstrations against the government and the high cost of living.
Comments are closed for this story.