Raila Calls for Nationwide Protests: Dawa Ya Moto Ni Moto!
The Azimio La Umoja Coalition Party leader Raila Odinga said the anti-government protests he called off earlier this month will resume in one week.
Odinga announced the protest resumption date after Ramadan at a town hall meeting at Ufungamano House in Nairobi on Thursday.
The opposition leader said protests will happen alongside bipartisan government engagement, which must prioritize the public interest.
“We will participate in the bipartisan process to which we have dispatched extremely able and competent representatives. But the people cannot be excluded or left behind. We are not engaging in this conversation to negotiate in smoke-filled rooms. Odinga said we’re doing this to protect life and death gains for the people and nation.
He continued, “We will face Goliath, and we know what will happen to him. We’ve allowed the talks to continue, and I agree with your suggestion that they continue alongside the demonstrations. Dawa ya moto ni moto. Sisi tutaendelea. Tunangoja Ramadhan iishe… Ramadhan ikiisha tutatangaza.”
Odinga reaffirmed his position that bipartisan engagement should not be limited to the legislature, as insisted by President William Ruto. He again mentioned the Koffi Annan-led talks that produced the 2008 National Accord, which was ratified in a hotel rather than Parliament.
“No one halts a conversation outside of the legislature. This has occurred previously. Even a foreigner presided over discussions held at the Serena Hotel during times of crisis. These discussions were legal. In the end, the product presented to Parliament, where it unanimously approved. Today, we are in a similar situation,” said Odinga.
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He called President Ruto’s government a “rubber stamp” that approves anything without thinking.
“This time, something fundamental must give, but only if the people remain engaged. We are not going into this as automatons. In the past six months, it has become abundantly clear that Kenya Kwanza is a rubber-stamping regime.”
“Subsidies for food, fuel, electricity, and school fees are being eliminated, exposing people to suffering, and Kenya Kwanza rubber-stamps this as acceptable. They are aware that there was an order for the IEBC servers to be opened, but they rubberstamp the refusal to open the servers. They are aware that the purchasing of MPs to switch allegiances undermines our hard-won democracy, yet they rubber-stamp it as acceptable, Odinga said.
He added, “People are appointed and fired from the civil service based on tribal affiliation, and Kenya Kwanza approves of this.”
A multitude of Azimio leaders, including Martha Karua and Eugene Wamalwa, attended the Thursday town hall meeting.
Following the cessation of anti-government demonstrations, the Azimio coalition announced on Tuesday of this week that it would hold countrywide public barazas and town hall meetings.
Wycliffe Oparanya, chairman of the Azimio Executive Council, stated that the forums will provide the coalition with an opportunity to explain to Kenyans their next course of action regarding the issues affecting the country.
Raila Calls for Nationwide Protests: Dawa Ya Moto Ni Moto!
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