Nairobi News

Martha Karua, leader of the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc-Kenya) political outfit, has made a bold claim regarding the recent opposition protests in the country.

According to her, the government hired the looters who vandalized shops and caused chaos during the demonstrations.

“Last week, for more than four days people demonstrated peacefully in Kisumu, Migori and various parts of the country. For instance, on Monday, Kisumu demonstrations were so peaceful including taking a coffin to a police station and the officers were not rattled,” Karua explained.

Karua argues that these individuals were nothing more than government-backed hooligans meant to sabotage the opposition’s cause.

The streets of Nairobi, Kisumu, were brought to a standstill on March 20, 2023, as protesters and police engaged in a heated confrontation. Two people lost their lives, and many more were left injured.

The Azimio supporters clashed with police officers deployed to counter the demonstrations.

Meanwhile, traders counted their losses as looters took advantage of the chaos to ransack businesses.

Karua’s assertions seem to support the idea that these violent incidents were not spontaneous but orchestrated by those who wanted to see the opposition movement fail.

She blames the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), led by President William Ruto, for instigating these events.

Karua says that UDA supporters had threatened to storm opposition leader Raila Odinga’s Karen residence during the demonstrations, a warning that was seen as a precursor to the violence that would later erupt.

Karua emphasized that those who participated in the looting and destruction of property were not part of the opposition’s peaceful demonstrations.

Instead, they were hired goons employed by the government and UDA to undermine the opposition. She criticized the UDA’s announcement to counter the Azimio procession, calling it an exercise that had been planned for more than two weeks before the protests.

Meanwhile, the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has rubbished claims by the Nairobi County Police Commander, Mr. Adamson Bungei, that the Azimio protests were illegal.

Odinga insists that the Inspector General of Police, Japhet Koome, was notified of the demonstrations and had a duty to offer security.

It remains to be seen what the outcome of this will be, but one thing is clear: the events of Azimio Monday have left many Kenyans concerned about the future of their country.

Will the government and opposition be able to work together to find a solution, or will political posturing and rhetoric continue to divide the nation?

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