Raila Odinga addressed the nation in a statement distributed and seen on X on Wednesday, June 26, at precisely 4:30 am. In it, Raila lamented at the severe consequences of the government’s obstinacy and the loss of young lives in the ongoing Finance Bill Demonstrations dubbed ‘Seven days of Rage’.
“Today, our country is paying a steep price for the obstinacy of the government,” Raila said, underscoring the gravity of the situation. He reflected on how matters that should have been resolved through dialogue have spiralled into unprecedented chaos, marking a dark chapter in Kenya’s 61-year history of independence.
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After the controversial Maandamano demonstrations that ensued after President William Ruto’s 2022 election, which Raila Odinga rejected, Kenya’s most prominent opposition figure had been notably subdued during the country’s historical nationwide protests, until he intervened with this statement, seemingly gearing up to join Gen Z on the ground.
Raila expressed his deep sorrow over the brutal crackdown on peaceful young protesters and denounced the horrific murders, arrests, and detentions carried out by police against boys and girls, simply seeking to voice their concerns over taxation policies that jeopardize their future.
“I am deeply troubled by the violent and deadly crackdown on young, peaceful protesters exercising their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. I am disturbed at the murders, arrests, detentions and surveillance being perpetrated by police on boys and girls who are only seeking to be heard over taxation policies that are stealing both their present and future.” the former prime minister said.
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The opposition leader said he had hoped for a more compassionate response from the government but such was not the case as young lives were lost in the ongoing standoff against the unpopular Finance bill.
“We had hoped that the government would show goodwill and humility and at least listen to the country’s children,” Raila lamented.
Instead, he noted that dissenting opinions have been met with ridicule and brutality. “Every dissenting opinion has been dismissed and ridiculed by government officials and ruling party politicians and such dissenting voices are now being silenced by brutality and murder,” he said.
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Raila touched on the constitutional crisis that seems to have unfolded and the lack of adherence to it in dealing with the Gen Z protests. “The constitution seems to have been suspended. We cannot allow that,” he declared.
The Azimio leader further condemned the government’s use of brute force against the youth, stressing the urgency to halt this violence.
“We can’t and won’t tolerate any extra minute of this murder spree and violence that could have been and can still be avoided.” Raila, fondly nicknamed Baba by his supporters, said.
He explained the core of the issue lies in the grievances related to the Finance Bill. “The immediate trigger, however, is the Finance Bill,” Raila explained. He pointed out that the bill is not an emergency and recalled a similar situation in the past when the government showed flexibility.
“Kenyans will recall that when there was a standoff in the last Parliament over calls for the reduction of tax on petroleum products from 16% to 8%, the then Jubilee government agreed to suspend that provision and fell back on the old Finance Act until a consensus was reached.”
Raila called for a similar approach in his statement to end the current standoff that for the first time sees the government against not just the opposition but the nation at large.
“The starting point to ending this impasse and cruel bloodletting is for the government to immediately and unconditionally withdraw the Finance Bill and make way for a fresh start and dialogue,” he urges. He also demands an end to the violence and accountability for the police officers responsible for the killings. “The government must also immediately stop the violence its agencies are meting out on citizens and arrest all the police officers who have shot and killed protesters.”
The stakes are high, and Raila warned that the current situation was unsustainable with the use of brute force only adding fuel to a rising fire.
“Without these first steps, nobody should imagine that the current situation is going away any time soon and nobody must imagine that Kenyans will sit back and watch police butcher their children in defence of policies whose consequences are a pervasive chilling effect on citizens, particularly the youth.”
Raila extended a plea to international bodies to intervene to stop further bloodshed and stop the violence from spiralling over.
“I am calling on the East African Community, the African Union, and the United Nations to immediately be seized of the unfolding situation in Kenya to save lives and the country,” he requested “I mourn with the families that have lost loved ones and stand with them in the ongoing struggle for justice and economic liberation,” Raila’s statement concluded.
