Youth lobby group ask Raila to guarantee peaceful Nairobi protests
The Nairobi youth politicians lobby group has asked Azimio leader Raila Odinga to guarantee peaceful protests in the capital.
Led by Samuel Mundia, who unsuccessfully contested for the Member of County Assembly (MCA) seat in the Central Business District (CBD) in the August 2022 polls, says Mr Odinga has a history of leading protests that turn violent.
If repeated, Mundia says the scenario will likely scare businessmen and women away from the city during the demonstrations.
“I do business within the CBD and can assure you that traders will likely stay away because they do not wait to interact with the protestors,” said Mundia.
“He has a right to demonstrate but Mr Odinga should assure us the mass action protests will be peaceful. Better still, he should deposit some amount of money, in millions, that will act as a guarantee and possibly compensate the traders in the event they lose their property.”
Mr Odinga has announced he will lead peaceful nationwide protests in Nairobi on March 20, 2023.
He also unlawfully announced that the day will be a national holiday.
The protests, according to the Mr Odinga who finished second behind President William Ruto in the August 2022 presidential elections, are geared towards among others, putting pressure on the government to lower the cost of living.
Mr Odinga has also demanded talks over the August 2022 polls in which he maintains he was rigged out, and asked for a stake in the selection process of the next Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners ahead of the 2027 polls.
President Ruto meanwhile has asked Mr Odinga to liaise with the police on how he intends to carry out the demonstrations and shoulder the responsibility of ensuring the protests are peaceful
On March 15, 2023, Azimio demonstrations at the lakeside city of Kisumu turned violent when protestors stormed a government event and ate food meant for the guests before leaving the venue with the property.
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