Azimio Suspends Anti-Gov’t Protests Scheduled for Thursday
The coalition party Azimio la Umoja One Kenya has decided to cancel its planned anti-government demonstrations on Thursday.
This comes after the ruling Kenya Kwanza faction conceded to one of Azimio’s principal demands for the bipartisan talks to continue by removing Eldas Member of Parliament Adan Keynan from its negotiating team.
In a statement issued to newsrooms on Wednesday evening, Azimio explained that, in response to the Kenya Kwanza move, it had decided to recall its seven-member team for new talking points during the deliberations.
The minority leader of the National Assembly, Opiyo Wandayi, issued the following statement: “This evening, the leadership of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party met and agreed to once again suspend the mass protests we had planned to continue tomorrow.”
“The coalition took this action after Kenya Kwanza agreed to one of our demands, which led to the resumption of mass action.”
Wandayi added, “Instead of holding the protests, we’ve summoned our seven-member delegation to the bipartisan committee for updated instructions to guide future negotiations with the Kenya Kwanza side.”
The opposition political faction thanked their supporters who have participated in anti-government demonstrations to date.
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The team added, however, that they will not hesitate to return to the streets if the goodwill extended by Kenya Kwanza is reversed.
Wandayi stated, “As a party, we extend our deepest gratitude to all Kenyans who participated in the demonstrations in defense of justice and democracy in our country.”
“We also wish to reiterate that we will not hesitate to resume mass action at the first sign of Kenya Kwanza’s lack of good faith and honesty.”
Azimio also issued a warning to Speaker Moses Wetangula, who is expected to communicate on Thursday regarding the validity of Azimio’s decision to remove Deputy Minority Whip Sabina Chege from her position.
“More importantly, we send a very strong warning to Kenya Kwanza over its interference in the internal affairs of Azimio and its affiliated parties, including Jubilee,” added Wandayi, who is also a member of parliament for Ugunja.
“On May 4, 2023, we expect nothing less than a crystal-clear and unequivocal statement from the Speaker of the National Assembly regarding Azimio’s decision to dismiss former Deputy Minority Whip Sabina Chege. Any deviation from our expectations will have severe repercussions. This country must end its culture of political prostitution at all costs.”
Azimio Suspends Anti-Gov’t Protests Scheduled for Thursday
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