Police disrupted the mass action by a section of Azimio la Umoja followers in KICC, Nairobi, by throwing teargas to disperse them.
These supporters were accompanied by a section of the coalition’s lawmakers, among them Edwin Sifuna, senator for Nairobi County, and Enoch Wambua, senator for Kitui County. As soon as the two senators addressed their supporters to prep them for the mass action ahead, police disrupted their meeting by throwing teargas at them. This mass action was inclusive of a march to the State house to petition against the high cost of living, among other disputes fronted by the coalition’s leader, Raila Odinga.
Read also: ‘Monday’s demonstrations will go as planned,’ Raila says
The roads leading to State House, Monday morning were heavily guarded ahead of the protests. The security enhancement measures also include barricading of roads to stop the opposition supporters from accessing State House.
This mass demonstration by Azimio La Umoja, One Kenya Alliance was publicly announced by their party leader Raila Odinga on Sunday, March 19. According to Raila, the demonstrations would begin at the Kenyatta International Convention Center, (KICC), through parliament, to their final destination which is State House.
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The opposition leader went further to say that Monday would be a public holiday, urging all his supporters to gather in Nairobi for the mass action. Those away from the capital, he encouraged them to hold peaceful demonstrations in their areas of residence.
Other Azimio leaders who had also assembled at the KICC ahead of the march to State House include; Rosa Mbuyu, (MP Kisumu East), Junet Mohammed (MP Suna East), Stewart Madzayo (Kilifi), and Mishi Mboko (Likoni).
In related news, Kenya Kwanza’s UDA party also announced to counter Azimio’s mass protests, by marching to the residents of the officials; Raila Odinga, Martha Karua, and Kalonzo Musyoka.
Issuing this statement on March 17, the party’s secretary general Cleophas Malala said that they would retaliate by holding mass demos of their own at the residents of the opposition’s officials; Raila Odinga, Martha Karua, and Kalonzo Musyoka.
