Hakuna kitu utafanya! Raila warns Kindiki on return of demos
Azimio leader Raila Odinga has warned Interior Cabinet Security Kithure Kindiki against issuing what he says are ‘unconstitutional’ demands to the opposition.
In his address at a public event in Makueni on August 15, 2023, Mr Odinga insisted he will not be intimidated by the government in his quest to fight for justice.
He asked Kenyans not to be swayed by what he termed as threats by government officials on demonstrations.
“He (Kindiki) is threatening us of supposed dire consequences if we choose to return to the streets to protest,” said Odinga.”
“We will proceed. We are Kenyans, and we won’t succumb to their intimidations,” Odinga affirmed.
Mr Odinga recently called for a suspension of the countrywide demonstrations so as to allow the opposition to ‘mourn its supporters’ who lost their lives owing to police brutality and to allow for dialogue between the government and opposition.’
Before calling for a ceasefire, the protests had led to the death of approximately 20 people.
Several others were arrested during confrontations with police that left scores injured and property worth millions of shillings destroyed.
The Kenyan constitution allows for peaceful demonstrations but Kindiki has consistently outlawed them, arguing they were far from peaceful.
The protests, according to Mr Odinga, were aimed at fighting the high cost of living and championing for electoral justice.
A few days ago, Kindiki cautioned Azimio leaders against returning to the streets in protests in the event the ongoing bipartisan talks with the government fail to yield a consensus.
The senior government official maintained the government was keen to not only maintain law and order at all times but also have an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
He further warned the government will not permit politicians to sow fear among innocent citizens merely to advance their political agendas.
He also highlighted the ongoing dialogue between the government and the opposition holds significant promise to address pertinent issues, and any inclination towards violence must be firmly rejected.
“The political arena has embarked on a dialogue to address critical matters. In this process, the specter of violence must not rear its head,” Kindiki asserted.
“The peace and tranquillity of our country is a singular and collective responsibility for all citizens, their political, religious, or community differences notwithstanding,” he said.
“We must remove violence from the equation of the politics of our country,” he added.
Kindiki has in recent times been at crossroads with opposition allied politicians including Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
Also read: Dr. Jerry Angira: Social media the greatest contributors of inactive lifestyle, health concerns